O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly? Micah 2:7
Remember the story of the young nobleman who came to the Lord Jesus to ask what he might do to be saved? We read that the words of the Saviour made this young man sad, because he had great possessions. Throughout His life, the words of the Lord Jesus had an impact on those who heard Him. At His words, demons fled, leprosy disappeared, pain and death were vanquished. At His words, hearts were comforted, challenged, condemned, and converted. His words drew crowds of the poor to listen, drew indignation from the self-righteous, drew faithfulness and service from those who spent time in His presence, and drew treason from the lover of filthy lucre. He had no words for the Sanhedrin because they had rejected Him, just as those who reject and ignore Him today receive no relevance in His words. But to those who follow His words, those words can do as much good today as they ever did.
Do we walk uprightly? Do we seek to be obedient to our Lord’s commands, to be kind and gentle as He was, to be faithful, honest, and of good report? Our text tells us that those who are upright will receive the good of the Lord’s words. If we are disobedient and slack in our testimony, worship, and service for our Lord, we won’t get much benefit from His words.
What good will His words do? The fact that they are His words will cheer and comfort our souls, filling us with hope and peace. His words will correct our steps and bring our walk into line with His own. His words will instruct and guide us in our daily experience. His words will warn and guard us against evil, preserving us from the great enemies of our souls: the world, the flesh, and the devil. His words will feed us and build us up into the disciples we should be. His words will draw us nearer to His own presence and fill us with longing for His coming.
Listen to His words today; they will do you good as nothing in this world could ever do. -Jim MacIntosh