God Speaking

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ…” (2 Corinthians 3:2 – 3)

The art of letter writing, I am sad to say, seems to be disappearing, as the advent of e-mail, twitter, texting etc., allows for instant communication and has effectively destroyed that excited anticipation that enveloped one waiting for the mail to arrive. While I was growing up in Australia mail delivery was something to be eagerly looked forward to, and the Postie, as we called him, carried a whistle which he blew if he deposited a letter in your mail box, so long before he reached us we could hear the cheery noise of his whistle in surrounding streets and began to look for him to appear in front of our house with much expectation.

When I first met my husband his job took him miles away from where I lived, telephoning was far too expensive, so the only way we could keep in touch was by letters. I can still feel the rush of emotions that swept over me when I saw his familiar handwriting on the envelope. I have kept those precious letters as well as letters from my sisters and my father and when I reopen them their faces spring into my mind as I see the spidery writing in my father’s letter, and the bold strokes of my sister’s pen. Even recognizing handwriting will be a thing of the past as communication now arrives in the sterile form of typed letters from a keyboard. We will not have the joy of holding something tangible in our hands to remind us of loved ones. I was thinking back on this while reading Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and could only imagine the joy when this letter was delivered to be read to the believers.

God‘s words to his loved ones were first inscribed on stone with his very own finger;

“When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18)

But later our Heavenly Father knew where his words were to be firmly embedded;

“… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

Paul is reminding the believers that they now possess a letter written on their hearts not by God’s finger, but by the Spirit of the living God.

“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3)

What an awe inspiring thought! The Holy Spirit has chosen our hearts to write his letter. What a challenging thought! When others read this letter we are carrying will they see Christ in us? What an incredible honour to be the bearer of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Often when people are applying for a job, they carry letters of recommendation, from others who know them well and respect them, we become those letters of recommendation from Christ for all who read our lives.

Will others be eager to read the good news through us? Will our lives recommend the joy of following Jesus? They will if we allow our hearts to be written on by the Holy Spirit.