Listen to Devotion

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Do you know someone with a voice that commands attention? If you are at a large family gathering and you need to quiet the crowd, there might be someone in your family with a deep and commanding voice to get everyone’s attention. Certain leaders are known for their distinct voice that can capture a nation’s attention with powerful words.

If God were to speak to you to get your attention, what kind of voice do you think he’d use? Would it sound like thunder? In today’s Bible verse, the Lord’s Servant is depicted as speaking gently. He doesn’t rely on worldly rhetoric and a booming tone to catch people’s attention. He has a gentle voice that we might not expect at first. The Lord’s Servant is Jesus. It’s not the sheer volume of his voice that captures our attention. It’s what he speaks and how he speaks. He speaks gently.

What a difference from the many voices we hear in the world around us. Sometimes the loudest voice we hear could be our own. When we are alone and in our heads, we dwell on something we’ve done or said. We can be very hard on ourselves because we recognize our shortcomings or failures. Psychologists call this self-talk, and when our self-talk is negative, they might suggest replacing it with more positive thoughts. That might be helpful, but here’s a more powerful way to change the way we think about or talk about ourselves—hear the voice of your Savior and listen to how he talks about you. Don’t look in a mirror. Look to your Savior and listen to what he has to say. He’s not shouting at you, saying, “Come on, how could you do that again?” He will not shout and cry out or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” With a sure and gentle voice, he says, “I love you. I forgive you.”

Lord Jesus, help me tune out the many voices of the surrounding world and calm my troubled heart so I can hear and dwell on your gentle words of pardon and peace. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.