Speak up

31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged to Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

33 Jesus lead him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers to the man’s ear. Spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “ephphata,” which means, “be opened!” 35 instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 they were completely amazed and said again and again, “everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” Mark 7:31-37 NLT

Tyre and Sidon are figuratively compound towns described as lived by sinners. Jesus was begged by the people to lay hands and heal a deaf man who cannot speak. Then Jesus took away the man to heal him in private. 

Sometimes, Jesus will take us away from the crowd of our life. Away from our family, friends, and common people, being in secluded private place with the Lord means upcoming healing. Seclusion means abode or to reside. During the seclusion period of our life, he will put fingers on our ear and touch our tongue. These procedures by Jesus made me realize that he will cause us to hear his voice accurately and speak his words powerfully. Before, I was praying in the spirit and the Lord gave me a vision of great revival, healing, and restoration. That vision became a well in which I draw strength from, for I heard it from the Lord and now waiting for its fulfillment. As I draw near to Him, however, the Lord is training my discernment.  Compare to my first seasons, I can resist my flesh more. But still I have many things to overcome; I can do it by the grace of God. 

The Lord is training my tongue to speak of his words. I have to be careful with what I do and what I say because, either good or bad. I will eat its result. I’m still praying for boldness to proclaim God’s Word. But through many failed attempts, I figured out that I can’t make it happen on my own time. Desiring to speak is one thing but speaking with God’s grace is another. We may sound strong but someone might stumble because of us. Proverbs 15:23 said, “everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right words at the right time!”

“…his tongue was freed” (verse 35) means his tongue was imprisoned once. Shamefulness, fear, ignorance, bitterness, and even pride; these are my prison cells. But the Lord is personally teaching the power of forgiveness. And I am learning that we can’t help others if we don’t help ourselves. We can’t share Christ’ Salvation if we don’t love them, but what if Jesus commanded us to love the people we hate. Then there comes healing. Jesus will heal our ear first then our tongue which is congruent to our heart. I really thank God because of the fact that “…his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways.” (Isaiah 55:8)

  

Still I am in the process of healing and learning. So I’ll patiently walk on it and treasure the abundance of open heaven but this is what I know, “everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” This is not the healed man speaking; this is the crowd who are spiritually healed too. So our walk is not in vain because we run for them.