“Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die.” So they got up at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had made the army of the Arameans hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses, that is, the sound of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians against us, to attack us!” So they got up and fled at twilight, and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—indeed the camp itself, just as it was; and they fled for their lives. When these men with leprosy came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver, gold, and clothes, and they went and hid them; then they returned and entered another tent, and carried valuables from there also, and went and hid them. Then they said to one another, “We are not doing the right thing. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent about it; if we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now then come, let’s go and inform the king’s household.” (2 Kings 7:3-9 NASB)
How many times do people, not you, notice someone else forgot to tie their shoes and they say nothing? Couldn’t they have helped them avoid a hazard? And how many times have individuals noticed a co-worker who was rushing out of the bathroom, forgetting to tuck or zip some clothing item, yet again, they said nothing? Have you ever seen a person, dressed in stylish attire on their regular pew, sitting through the entire Sunday morning service from the Call to Worship to the Benediction with a roller in the hair or a wave cap on their head and nobody gave her a heads up? When you were in school did you ever see a person cheating on a test? While you did not want to be a tattletale, did you pull them aside and tell them it is better to cram rather than cheat? I personally remember running cross country where we had to run two miles over rough terrain. One of my teammates took an illegal shortcut and instead of finishing near the end of the pack, he placed in the upper group of finishers. Guess what, I didn’t say anything to an official or him. It was hilarious at the time. But like the other situations I just asked you about, it would have been better for me to speak up.
As you know I send these meditations out and post them daily. Well, last Saturday, I neglected to post the day’s meditation. I would have never have known so, if a dependable, faithful, tireless, attention to detail usher at church had never said she and could not find it on the blog website. Because she took the time after church service to speak up, I was able to post what I apparently had neglected the next day. Perhaps someone needed to read that meditation and possibly it contained a specific message that would meet their specific need. Thanks to our lead usher for helping me out and taking time to speak up.
In the text above, taken from a familiar story in the Scriptures, four dying, desperate lepers find all kinds of valuables, vacated by the fleeing Aramean army, as God caused the Arameans to hear a sound of a mighty army, so much that they fled in the twilight. The lepers, aware of the starving and deplorable conditions in Samaria speak up. They came to their senses and were made aware that it was wrong not to speak up. Long story made short, the citizens of Samaria were blessed as God intended to bring relief from their improvised and starving conditions. It was just like they say, “The Lord will make a way somehow. Read the whole account later. The point is that many were moved into a better existence because the four lepers who came to the conclusion that they had to speak up.
There is somebody we can bring into a better existence if we are willing to speak up. Saved from the penalty of sin is a better condition. Saved from the power of sin is a better condition. Living with hope is a better condition. Given a remedy to feed a starving soul, with food or a message from the Lord, is a better condition. To speak up can help change situations from bad to better. Let’s speak up more! And let me add this from another perspective during this holiday when the blues bring you down and during this pandemic the pressure goes up. If you have been bottling up stress by not talking about what is causing you anxiety, find someone who is a good confidant and release the kilowatts of stress that are weighing you down. Speak up! Be blessed!
“(There is) a time to be quiet and a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:7a NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King