Overheard… by God Himself

Dad and I on our recent visit. I love him! ❤️

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name” (Mal. 3:16, ESV).

Several months ago, I had the joy of visiting my parents, my sister, and her family. The international travel was not the fun part, but spending time with them was such a gift in the midst of these stressful times. Since I moved away from the U.S. at the age of twenty-one to become a missionary, opportunities to see them have become very special treasures.

One of the moments that I enjoyed with my dad stands out. He was sharing with me about his quiet time that day with Jesus. Specifically, he had read the verse, “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy” (Ps. 140:12, ESV). God had been talking to him about how much He cares about our suffering. As he shared with me what the Lord was showing him, I could feel Holy Spirit present in our conversation. His words deposited richness into my spirit. I could feel my insides glowing.

Then Holy Spirit reminded me of this Scripture: “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name” (Mal. 3:16, ESV).

Our heavenly Father is listening closely to our conversations. When the content flowing out of our mouths reflects our devotion to Him, He takes special notice. It lights up His heart with joy. He treasures it so much that He has an angel make careful notes in a leger of everything that we speak.

Yes, heaven records our every utterance! Here’s a familiar aspect of our everyday lives that helps illustrate this spiritual principle: Do you have your chat history saved from your ongoing conversation with your best friend? Do you occasionally do a search through it for some piece of information you know the two of you were talking about? Have you ever found yourself reading a bit of your banter from two or three years back and reminiscing?

If so, it’s all right there, isn’t it? The log is untouched. Every word. Every sentence. Every joke. Every remark. Every nuance. That’s how it is in God’s book. He has recorded everything that we ever said and everything that we ever did there. This leger is the same one that we read about in John’s prophecy of the end of the world:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (Rev. 20:12, ESV).

When you speak an uplifting word to someone this week, remember this. Know that Someone is listening closely. Your faithfulness means more to Him than you can fathom right now. For all of eternity, that word of encouragement that you uttered will be remembered and honored. World without end.

Let’s make our words count today. They really, really do have everlasting importance.

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The inverse of this principle is also true. Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37, ESV). Why do you think our words matter so much to God?

23 thoughts on “Overheard… by God Himself

  1. Greetings brother n sister… luv the pic w ur dad, he is a Great man of God. Thank you also for the posted story. May our Lord bless ur family, ministry n friends, keep smiling for Jesus, love n hugs, brother chuck ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Brother Chuck, it brings me a whole lot of joy to hear from you here on my blog! Truly, thank you so much for taking the time to come by and share your thoughts. And AMEN, my dad is such an amazing man of God! I am forever grateful to be his daughter 🙂

      May our heavenly Father pour out all His goodness on you!

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  2. Wonderful post! Love the photo of you and your father. There is so much joy in your smiles; there is so much love in your expressions. Our words do matter. Words can lift someone up, or tear someone down. We are to follow the example of Christ, and carry each other’s burdens. We are to build up the community of faith. And, we should encourage one another as best we can. Sometimes, just a smile or a single kind word can change someone else’s day for the better.

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  3. It’s lovely to see you and your dad. You look so content and excited in each other’s company. Two blessed souls indeed. Important message again there about the power of our words, but about how important they are to God. I love it when He is there in and among the words we speak and write. Thank you Jennifer. Sorry I can’t “like ” anything atm . x

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    1. Aw, thank you so much my sister! You definitely have correctly perceived our facial expressiongs. My dad has always been indescribably important to me. I have inherited much of his spiritual and emotional DNA so to speak. My nature is a lot like his, so we have a special bond. He calls me “Niffer.” 😊🌹

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