Not Everything I Speak should be Heard

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones. When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to instruct his officials at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom. [Psalm 105:4-6,16-22]

The Psalm about was a song retelling the story of Joseph, a Dream Maker and a Dream Keeper I was studied not so long ago.

While some people read Genesis 37 and see Joseph's bragging about his dreams as a carnal action, the author of this Psalm said that Joseph faced difficulties "until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him..." [v.19] So according to the poet, 1) What Joseph proclaimed was the word of the Lord. He was indeed a prophet, albeit an immature one - but at 17 years old, he was just acting his age. 2) It's not the Lord who kept testing him, but "the word of the Lord" kept testing him.

The implication of the above two things were this: The modern spokemen for God sometimes might have spoken immaturely also. I know I did that many times. The word is indeed from the Lord, but it might be for me, and not for others. And the word might be delivered for me so that I will be tested myself.

It's easy to always think that because you are the messenger, your message was for others. But it's important to remember that the Word often have to come to me first, before it goes through me to others.

And why do we need to focus on ourselves first? I had breakfast with a mentor yesterday and he told about the words overheard from some leaders recently. Just as John Ortberg said in his sermon a few weeks ago, "it’s just in casual, unguarded moments that when you speak, the state of your soul will be revealed." And so the leaders leaked out their toxin unintentionally to the people around them. Being a leader will just put you in higher-traffic areas of life, and if the Word won't refine yourself first, then you will leak more toxin eventually.

May God help me to be faithful in learning your Word, for myself, and to refine myself.