Feb | 18 | Humility. The Antidote to Being Marvelled but not Moved!

Key Word - Danger

Acts 2: 7 Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?

Humility. The Antidote to Being Marvelled but not Moved!

Around this time in 1653, Milton recorded the appointment of Andrew Marvell as his assistant in his secretary-ship for foreign tongues. How very apt! Marvell, son of a vicar, is one of the worlds finest Metaphysical Poets. One of his most famous lyric verse is entitled ‘To His Coy Mistress’. The first half of the poem flatters his lover by setting out the proper time it would take for him to properly adore her and imagining that time to be of great, great length, the poet then says it would take him even, “ Till the conversion of the Jews!” How very interesting.

In the context of the hearing Jews, referring to Isaiah 28:9-14 Paul says in 1 Cor 14:22a “Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers” Tongues, you see, either awaken the unconverted to spiritual attention or, if tongues are despised, condemn those who like Israel, reject the sign and its accompanying message. 1 Cor 14:21 says ‘In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.”

Even miraculous signs fail to arouse some people to repentance; therefore God says in effect, “since they will not understand, they shall not understand.” My counsel to you then dear friend, is that in all the controversies, astonishments and embarrassments sent by God into your life, you do not judge Him harshly, neither do you judge events incorrectly, for in the so doing, you may just miss the message. Such humility will make you a great secretary and receptionist to foreign tongues. Such an appointment of true humilty will open you ears.


Listen: - For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. Isaiah 28:11-12
 
Pray: - Open Your heart to me O Lord for I have wronged many, have corrupted others and have cheated myself. Great is my boldness of speech toward You, asking You to fill me with great comfort and softness in my hard heart. Deliver me and those I remember today, from the hardening of the arteries of both life and of love. Amen