by Marilyn Ehle
“The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.� John 14:10 (NLT)
When I heard this morning of the death of a female singer popular in the 1960’s, I could hear her singing as clearly as I did over 40 years ago. Without turning on the radio or inserting a disc, that distinctive voice rang in my ears.
Jesus challenged His listeners with these words, “You have heard it said…but I say to you…â€? In remembering a conversation they had with the risen Jesus, two of His followers said, “Were our hearts not burning within us while He talked with us on the road…?â€? Another friend wrote, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard…”
Words have a strange and wonderful power. As we submit daily to the leadership of Jesus Christ, as we continue in the practice of silence and solitude in order to more clearly hear God’s words and thus have our own words transformed, I believe the message that we speak and the life we live will take on new radiance.
I wonder what will be said of me when I die? Although I am definitely not a singer, I wonder if what I have said, the directions I have given —more importantly, the message of the life I have lived—will still be heard clearly. Will it be said of me, “When I heard of her death, I could still hear her voice�?
Father, thank you for the freedom we can experience as we daily walk in the light of your Word and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your gentle nudging when my words have been my own and not yours. May my words—and my life—have eternal influence.
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