Scripture reveals that Heaven has a perfect record keeping system. Many times in both Old & New Testaments there is an assertion of an ultimate audit of the books of our lives wherein we will be evaluated concerning the value of our years here below. God is shown to keep a record of our prayers, our tears, our words, the wrongs done against us, our righteous works and even the sins of those who remained unforgiven. Imagery of a divine scroll is employed which teaches us that Omniscience never misses a thing – whether it be worthy of reward or demerit. Today’s post focuses on the record of our words.
“Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His name. “They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” – Malachi 3:13-18
The passage from Malachi above shows that God records the speech of two groups: those who magnify Him and those who diminish Him. I need to assess in which group I most regularly live? Do I bemoan my life and express weariness at God and His ways? Do I speak as a God-fearer and dialogue with others about His goodness, faithfulness and glory? This passage reminds us that God pays attention and hears us…all of us. We do not regularly hear ourselves and most will not take the time to consider the overall tenor of what escapes their lips. I know a woman who was so determined to be transformed in her speech that she asked her husband to record her at unannounced times in their home so she could hear what she said when she was in her normal patterns of communication. She testified that she ended up somewhere between convicted and horrified at the deep negativity in her words and her tone. She then committed to God to depend upon Him further for needed changes so that her speech reflected His goodness and His glory. Now that’s commitment to well-seasoned speech!
Beyond just the notion of God listening to us is the assertion in the bible that He records our words in a “book of remembrance” and they serve as evidence between those who are righteous and those whom God describes as wicked. We are His treasured possession and are spared judgment to come. We are forgiven and brought to God as beloved children and heirs of His kingdom. Let us rest assured that He knows our commitment, our love, and our anticipation of His full reward. Let us offer words that reveal a heart that belongs to Him. I have forgotten most of the prayers I have offered God…but He has not. Moments of praise and witness that have come forth from us quickly disappear from our memories…but not from God’s. When we share our testimonies of who Christ is and what He has done for us God denotes this and seals it as evidence that we are His. What a beautiful bounty that is kept in Heaven’s treasury for us! We do not want it to become mildewed with words of frustration, communication of faithlessness, sour soliloquies of complaint and grumbling, do we? Then let us hush our own mouths. Let us stitch our own lips together with the strong thread of gratitude to God so that we do not appear to Him, to onlooking angels, to ourselves or to others as those who do not know Him. He is worthy of our praise and expressions of confidence and never does the King deserve corrosive words of doubt from His own.
Malachi’s words above tell us that eternity will involve an unsealing of our verbal record. If we will wait on God’s timing and continue to trust Him in all of life’s challenges, there will certainly come a day when He rewards us for our expressions of confidence in Him. This is one thing which reveals us to be His children and separates us from those outside His covenant of love. By faith, let’s unseal that record through now and diagnose our patterns of speech. Let’s do it while we are still here below so that our lives communicate to anyone who is listening our deep and continuing trust in the God of all grace.