The Master's Voice.
"I will watch to see what He will say unto me."--Hab. ii. 1.
When the Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, "Simon, I have somewhat to
say unto thee;" he answered, "Master, say on!" When God was going to speak
to Samuel, he said, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Has the Lord
Jesus said anything like this for us? He says, "I have yet many things to
say unto you." What things? They will be strong, helpful, life-giving
words, for He says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and
they are life." They will be very loving words, for He says, "I will
speak comfortably to her" (margin, "I will speak to her heart"). And they
will be very kind and tender words, and spoken just at the right moment,
for He says that He knows "how to speak a word in season to him that is
weary." "Will He really speak to me?" says the little heart. Yes, really,
if you will only watch to see what He will say to you. For it will be "a
still, small voice," and you will not hear it at all if you do not listen
for it. "How will He speak to me?" If I had something very nice to tell
you, and instead of saying it out loud, I wrote it down on a piece of
paper, and gave it you to look at, would not that be exactly the same as
if I had told it you with my lips? And you would take the paper eagerly to
see what it was that I had to say to you. So to-day, when you read your
Bible, either alone or at your Bible-lesson, watch to see what Jesus will
say to you in it. You will never really watch in vain. You will see some
word that seems to come home to you, and that you never noticed so much
before. Oh, listen lovingly to it, for _that_ is what He says to you! Or
if you are really watching and wishing for a word from Him, some sweet
text will come into your mind, and you wonder what made you think of it!
That is the voice of Jesus speaking to your heart. Listen to it, and
treasure it up, and follow it; and then watch to see what else He will say
to you. Say to Him, "Master, say on!"
"Master, speak! and make me ready,
When Thy voice is truly heard,
With obedience glad and steady,
Still to follow every word.
I am listening, Lord, for Thee;
Master, speak, oh, speak to me!"