“The heavens declare the glory of God;” “there is no speech nor language,” yet their words go out “to the end of the world.” [Psalm 19:1, 3, 4]

We have been learning lately about the way in which the heavens and all the works of God are praising Him, by revealing,—making us able to see,—His power and His glory.

And last week we learned how we may do the same thing, by giving out the life that He gives to us, in loving service for others, so making His goodness and beauty to be seen.

Each thing that God has made shows something of the character of God. The heavens declare His glory, the flowers His loveliness and fragrance, the mountains and the seas His power and fulness, and in His manifold works His infinite wisdom is shown. But in man, His crowning work, all the fulness of His glory, His power and wisdom, were revealed. God made man in His own image, and filled him with His own Spirit, that He might fully reveal Himself in him.

All the other works of God praise Him and declare His glory “without speech or language.” But to man God gave the power like Himself to speak out and put into words the thoughts that filled his mind. God did not teach man a language, and give him a lot of words to learn, but He gave him the power to speak and make language. He did not teach him the names of the animals, and all the living things in the earth, but He brought them all before him “to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” [Gen. 2:19]

As God brought each living thing to Adam, His Spirit which dwelt in him showed him its nature, and what was the lesson that God was teaching him by it. Then the same Spirit of God which showed him the truth, gave him utterance, and made him able to speak out what he saw. So the name that he gave showed the truth that each living thing revealed.

And then you know that man was only the house or temple of God, and all the powers that God gave him were for Him to use to do His own work through man. So man’s mouth was made for the Spirit of God to speak His own words through man, and there was power, the power of God, in the words that man spoke, so long as he was perfect.

And even since man has fallen by sin, and lost the fulness of the power and glory and honour with which God crowned him in the beginning, the Spirit of God still speaks His own words of power through all those who will let Him use them. “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” and this is how the Bible, the Word of God, was given to us. In the Bible we have a great many beautiful songs which we call psalms, and David, “the sweet Psalmist of Israel,” who sang and wrote most of these, said, “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue.” [2 Sam. 23:2]

In one of these, which he calls “a song for the Sabbath,” he says, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name.” [Psalm 92:1] In another psalm he tells us how we may do this, and what the result will be. “He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” [Psalm 40:3]

When the Spirit of God is using your eyes and your ears and all your senses to reveal God to you, and to teach you of Him in all the things that He has made, your hearts will be filled “with wonder, love and praise.” Then like David you will pray, “O Lord, open Thou my lips, that my mouth may show forth Thy praise.” [Psalm 51:15] You will long to tell others of that which you have seen and heard of Him. And God has made your month so that you may do this.

When Isaiah “saw His glory,” he “spake of Him” (John 12:41), and so will all who really behold their God. And the Spirit of God who fills you with praise will also give you utterance, so that you may speak and sing of Him with power that shall lead others to “fear, and trust in the Lord.” [Psalm 40:3]

The Present Truth – September 15, 1898
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf  The Gift of Speech