Learning To Walk And Talk
Feature 3 – June 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Learning To Walk And Talk
As children develop, it is natural for them to learn how to walk and talk. The first steps of a child mark a milestone and are watched with pleasure by the parents. In the same way, the child’s first faltering attempt to speak is a sign of progress. Before long the little one will be able to walk unaided across the room and string together a coherent sentence. If there is any indication of a defect, whether in mobility or in speech, a caring parent will be quick to provide or seek help.
Spiritually we need to learn how to walk and talk too. Christian educators have recognized the importance of this and have taught young children, and older ones, to “be careful” what they do. You may be familiar with the simply-constructed song which encourages “little eyes … ears … tongue … hands … feet … heart … mind” to be careful what they do. We all need reminding of this!
In view of the expansive nature of the topic being explored, this article will make use of a wide-ranging number of Bible verses. However, three anchor points will hold our thoughts together as we focus on three separate psalms – one at the beginning, one in the middle, and the other at the end of the article.
Psalm 33
As we commence, it is worth reflecting on Psalm 33:13-15: “The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works” (KJV). The simple truth at the center of this passage is expressed in a number of ways. We cannot avoid the plain fact that God is looking upon all of us all of the time. We are accountable to Him, and if we are His children our chief ambition should be to please Him.
Human beings possess five vital senses. We can consider them one by one and discover some practical lessons from God’s Word.
The Sense Of Sight
Think of the gift of sight and the importance of our eyes. How do we use them? Job determined that he would not allow his eyes to focus wrongly on a young woman’s appearance (Job 31:1). Many centuries later the Lord Jesus explained that looking lustfully on a woman was actually committing adultery in the heart (Mt. 5:28). Solomon was aware of the danger posed by alcohol and counseled his son not to “look” longingly on the sparkling wine because it could sting like a serpent (Prov. 23:31-32). As the eyes are the gateway to the heart, it is vital to watch what we watch! This can certainly be applied to films and television. David’s words in Psalm 101:3 challenge us not to set anything wicked before our eyes. Is God pleased with what we watch? He can certainly see it.
The Sense Of Hearing
The second sense to ponder is hearing. Consider briefly, in this respect, a warning from Solomon. Putting it bluntly, Solomon explained that you might hear your servant curse you. Is this unthinkable? By no means, Solomon continued, for we have all said wrong things about others (Eccl. 7:21-22). “A bird of the air” (an unsuspecting source) may carry “the voice” (or even your thoughts) to someone else (10:20). While we ought not to speak unadvisedly, this verse also reminds us not to have our ear to the ground too often. We may hear things about ourselves we would be better not knowing!
Touch, Taste, Scent
The sense of touch may relate particularly to our hands. How are we using them? “Touch not the unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:17) is a necessary warning. We live in a very impure world, so we must ensure we do not put our hands, figuratively speaking, to unclean activities. “Keep thyself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).
When we consider the sense of taste we might think about our tongue. Solomon warned his son not to develop a taste for the “dainties” of the rich (Prov. 23:6 JND). That itself is a lesson to ponder, but we will return to look at the subject of the tongue a little more broadly later.
The nose enables us to use of gift of scent. The elderly Isaac smelled his son Jacob’s garments and detected “the smell of a field,” which persuaded him that it was Esau (Gen. 27:27 KJV). It is possible, like Isaac, to be deceived if we depend too much on our natural senses. Had he possessed the gift of sight he would have seen that it was Jacob and not Esau.
Psalm 34
Having looked briefly at our five senses from Scripture, we must return to the book of Psalms for our second reference point. David wrote: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Ps. 34:13-14). In Psalm 33 we noted the general truth that God is watching us all the time. Nothing escapes His attention. Those two verses in Psalm 34 remind us of the two activities which were mentioned at the beginning of the article – walking and talking. In this passage our attention is drawn first to our talk. David’s exhortation is that our tongue should be kept from evil or harmful conversation and our walk in this world should be along the pathway of peace, which is “good” in God’s sight. Both activities must be considered in the light of Holy Scripture.
Walking
First, let us think about our walk. Many verses in the New Testament portray the life of a believer in terms of walking through this world. In the writings of John we are reminded of the need to “walk in the light” (1 Jn. 1:7). Just two verses earlier we are told, “God is light,” so walking in the light means allowing His character to shine upon us. Sin is associated with darkness. We must therefore avoid the paths of sin and allow the light of God’s Word to illumine our pathway through this world.
Another practical lesson can be found in Ephesians 5:2, where we read: “Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us.” How can we forget the love of our Savior who willingly surrendered His life at Calvary when He took our place and died for our sins? Remembering that love and His call for us to follow Him, we should also tread the pathway of love. This means loving God and seeking to please Him, as well as loving one another. A high standard has certainly been set for us when we consider how we should “walk, even as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6).
Colossians 4:5 states, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without.” This refers particularly to how we live before unsaved people. What a great need there is for wisdom! How easily we can fail and bring the message of the gospel into disrepute. We must live sanctified, or holy, lives without being sanctimonious, or simply appearing to be morally superior. God is not the only one watching us; other people are too. In 2 Timothy 2:4 Paul used the illustration of a soldier endeavoring to please his commanding officer. If we are born again we have been called by Christ to follow Him and to be His soldiers in a hostile land. How important it is, therefore, to please Him in all things.
Talking
Returning to the instruction found in Psalm 34, it might be helpful to spend a little more time thinking of our speech: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (v.13). The classic passage dealing with the tongue is James 3, where we are told how easily we can cause offense by our speech. Although the tongue is such “a little member” in the body, it boasts of great things (v.5). It is destructive by nature and cannot be tamed, being “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (v.8). This practical portion of God’s Word is worth reading carefully and prayerfully on a regular basis.
Another very helpful book containing practical instruction is Proverbs. There is great benefit in reading it regularly – perhaps in small, digestible sections. Much of the teaching is presented in short, expressive statements. Contrasts can often be found. For instance: “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” (Prov. 12:18). Words have the power to hurt or to heal. Speech that pleases God is health-giving. All too often we speak before we have thought about the consequences which may follow. Another timely warning is: “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him” (29:20). The fool presented in Proverbs may sometimes not have the ability to speak, but at least this keeps him out of trouble! How many problems have arisen because we expressed ourselves too quickly and then regretted it.
The numerous warnings in Proverbs may make us feel very inadequate. If, as James taught, the tongue cannot be tamed, what hope do we have? Left to our own efforts we could do nothing, but help is available. The Lord is able to assist us in our sinfulness and weakness. Truly, the prayer of Psalm 141:3 is timely: “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” We would do well to make this a daily prayer.
Walking and talking are two very basic activities. The life that is said to be “all talk and no walk” achieves nothing worthwhile. Our words and our actions must be in harmony. It is no good uttering high-sounding statements or boasting of our good deeds when our actions and habits discredit us because they are in contradiction to the principles of God’s Word. We have already seen how our speech and actions are brought together in Psalm 34:13–14.
Psalm 139
As we draw these thoughts to a conclusion we can consider David’s honest prayer recorded in Psalm 139. “O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me,” he declared (v.1). Nothing could be hidden from the all-seeing eye of God. Whether sitting down or standing up, God knew everything about David’s actions (v.2). “Thou … art acquainted with all my ways,” he wrote (v.3). Not only did God know his every word, but He understood his thoughts “afar off” (v.2). What a wonderful God! Before a word is framed by our tongue, He knows exactly what we are going to say. Also, every thought we have is read by Him.
Psalm 139 reminds us that God surrounds us and is everywhere. We cannot escape from His presence, even for a moment. The darkness cannot hide us, and the widest ocean cannot remove us from His view. There is no point in rebelling against Him. In the first verse of this psalm David yielded in submission to the Almighty. What more could He say? “O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.” But there was no objection from David in that statement as the closing verses make clear. Honest before God, David was willing for God to continue to search Him through and through. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (vv.23–24).
Would we be prepared to do this? Would we object to God knowing our thoughts? Perhaps we know that those thoughts really do not please Him. Are we ready for Him to lead us “in the way everlasting”? Moved by these thoughts, Francis Bottome (1823–1894) penned the lovely hymn, “Search me, O God! My actions try.” Like David, he was prepared for God’s “fiery glance” to “cast its holy light through all” of his life. We need that same kind of honesty. No matter how long we may have known the Lord, we need to live as His obedient children. With the Holy Spirit’s help, the simple and straightforward truths of His Word will enable us to walk and talk aright.
By Martin Girard