All ministers of God’s word should learn from the Scripture the character of God’s word. Once they learn this, they will know under what circumstances God will use them. Simply put, there are two characteristics to God’s word. First, it is plain; second, it is high. God’s word is plain. Even a blind man will not be lost and a lame man will not be put out of joint by God’s word. God’s word is very clear and plain. The parables in the Word are not riddles. If God’s word were a riddle, it would mean that it was not written for man to understand. God’s word is not a riddle; it is clear and plain. Therefore, every minister of God’s word should learn to speak in a plain way. We must have the habit of speaking plainly and simply; we should not be wordy. We should take care that others understand our words. If others do not understand our words, we have to change our way. We should always remember that God’s word is given for men to understand, not to misunderstand. Matthew 13 is an exception because the Jews rejected the Lord. Therefore, God’s word was hidden from them.
A minister of the word has to be trained in his ability to speak. We may understand something today, and it may take us just five minutes to comprehend it. But we may have to spend five hours to contemplate on it. When we speak it, we should ask a brother whether he understands what we are saying. If he does not understand, we have to change our way. We need to speak in such a way that others understand immediately. We should never speak for half an hour and then find that only five minutes of our speaking were understood. Instead, we should speak for five minutes and make sure that others have understood those five minutes of our speaking. It is better to speak less than to waste twenty-five minutes of time. We have to learn to speak plainly. We should develop the habit of speaking clearly and not be tempted to become wordy. We should always use simple words and always consider how we can make our speaking understandable. We have to ask God to give us plain words that we can express. We may express our thoughts through a parable, but we still have to make our word clear. This is the very nature of God’s word. If the nature of our speaking is different from the nature of God’s word, we will surely encounter problems in our speaking. Those who have a problem with their speaking should forget about their “face.” They should humble themselves and seek advice from other brothers and sisters. They should practice speaking to others for five minutes to see whether or not others understand what they are saying. They should be willing to accept correction so that they can speak longer the next time, perhaps ten minutes. Since we are here to speak for God, we have to learn to speak, and our words have to be uttered clearly sentence by sentence. The meaning has to be obvious, and the choice of words has to be suitable. We speak to make others understand. God does not want His word to become a riddle, like some parables in the Old Testament. God does not want men to have to spend a great deal of time trying to understand His word. A minister of the word should often seek advice from more learned and experienced brothers and should ask for their criticism concerning any part that is not clear. He should learn to improve his speaking and strive to make his words simple and plain.
God’s word is plain, but His word is also high and profound. God never says anything shallow. He never says anything that sounds titillating but conveys no spirit. The speaking of the minister of the word should be like a hammer; in striking God’s word, one should hit hard. If he hits softly, his word will not touch God’s word. If our words are shallow, we cannot express God’s word no matter how hard we try. Our speaking must maintain a degree of height and profundity. Once we change the nature of God’s speaking, we cannot touch His word. Our speaking must be high. Our words must be high and profound because the Lord of hosts is coming through our speaking. Once our words become shallow, God will not be released. Some brothers speak in such a low way when they quote a verse that it is difficult to imagine that God’s word can be released through them. Some brothers have such a childish way of exhortation that one wonders how God’s word can come out of their mouth. We must take care of the loftiness of our speaking. As soon as our words become low, God’s speaking diminishes or even disappears. When our words remain shallow, God cannot find any opportunity to thrust Himself out of the word. The more our exhortation stays on a low plane, the less others will touch anything. The more our exhortation remains on a high plane, the more others will touch something. This is a very strange phenomenon. Suppose a two- or three-year-old girl has just learned to understand words. We can say to her, “Tonight I will buy you a piece of candy. If you behave well, the Lord Jesus will love you.” It is all right to say this to a child. But if we say on the platform, “Tonight I will give you all a piece of candy; if you listen quietly to my preaching, the Lord Jesus will love you,” will this exhortation work? This is low exhortation, a childish exhortation; it is baby talk. Once our words become low, there is no more divine speaking. God wants His servants to always remain on a high plane. The higher we climb, the better our audience will receive our word.
We must realize that it is an important duty of the minister of the word to climb high before God. The higher we climb, the more divine speaking there will be. If we do not aim high, our teachings and exhortations will be low; we will be short of God’s speaking. Once our words are low, God’s word will not be released. God does not tolerate any low thoughts, low words, low exhortations, low parables, or low expressions. Therefore, our words have to be high yet, at the same time, clear and plain. This is the way to release God’s word. Sometimes we have the light, the word, and the burden. We want to say the word in a plain way, but the pressure is great, and we cannot be plain. It is hard to speak plainly even when we practice. If we do not practice, how can we do it? We must learn to speak simply, plainly, and clearly. We have to make this our habit. At the same time, we have to aim our words as high as possible. We should never touch low things. Once we touch low things, God’s word will not be released. This is a very important point.