Since the discharge of a burden is related closely to the inner words, how can we receive the inner words? Most of the time, we receive the inner words through reading the Bible and in our moments of waiting upon God. Suppose we receive some intense light, and the Lord mercifully grants us an active, creative, and energetic mind to capture the light. God’s shining then becomes our thoughts. This is sufficient for ourselves. The light of revelation and the translated thoughts are sufficient for our own use. God’s revelation has already generated some benefit in us; it has become permanent, specific, and tangible thoughts in us. Yet as we have pointed out earlier, this is not sufficient to supply others. We cannot supply others with our thoughts. We are ministers of God’s word. We cannot dispense our thoughts to others; we can only dispense words. Yet these words cannot be merely the product of our mind. An inner word requires a fresh revelation from God. We must have a word that comes directly from the Holy Spirit. This word is not just for ourselves but also for others. It is a word that qualifies us to be a minister. One thing is clear: We are all members of the Body of Christ, and God’s light must not stop in us. God’s shining is altogether for the ministry; it is not just for ourselves. We have mentioned previously that sometimes light is accompanied by God’s word when it is translated into thoughts, and that it is this word which enables us to be a minister of the word. Yet many times, even most of the time, we do not receive a word when light and thoughts come. In order to receive such a word, we have to wait on God and study the Scripture. I am not saying that this is always the case. Each situation is different. Sometimes the experience is quite special. At other times the experience is quite ordinary. Under ordinary circumstances, God gives us such words while we are waiting on Him and reading His Word. We may receive a word from God today in our study of the Scripture. We may receive a word tomorrow when we study the Scripture again. In our study of the Scripture, we may receive one or two phrases that aptly express what we have seen in our spirit. These life-releasing words release what we already understand in our mind. When these phrases are released, what is contained in the spirit is also released. These words discharge the light that has been captured by the mind. This is the basis of the ministry of the word. This is what a minister of the word needs.
Let us pay attention to this fact: We need light in the spirit and the retention of the light in the mind, yet we must also wait on God and read the Scripture to receive the proper words from Him. At such times we may receive a word. This word will make us clear within, open our inner eyes, and give us an inner assurance that we can now release this word. We must know how to utter these words before we can release the light and the thoughts that are within us. As soon as we have these sentences in our hand, we have the inner words. Before we have these words, we cannot release the revelation within us no matter how hard we try. A word that is void of revelation will never release any light of revelation. The release of the light of revelation is based on the release of words of revelation. Those who only have the light of revelation without a word of revelation cannot expect to release the light of revelation. The more a person is short of the word of revelation, the more he has to wait on God. He should pray, fellowship, and wait on God with the Scripture open before Him. He should not wait on Him in an ordinary way. He should not pray in an ordinary way or fellowship in an ordinary way. Instead, he should wait on God, pray to Him, and fellowship with Him by opening his Bible before Him. It is easier for God to speak through the Scripture, and it is easier for us to receive His word of revelation through the Scripture. Once we receive a word from the Scripture, something is formed within us. We have one or two words that will bring salvation to a sinner or render help to a believer. These words become God’s word. Although they are not God’s written word, they are God’s up-to-date word. As we mature in age, these words will be useful to us all the time, and as long as our spirit is pure and proper, the Holy Spirit will honor these words whenever we apply them. If a word is God’s word, the Holy Spirit will always use it to save men or edify believers. This is not just any kind of word. It is an extraordinary word, a powerful word.