Christians in Conversation
Malachi 3:16-17
Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD listened, and heard it…


They that feared the Lord spake often one with another. It is strange, one has said, that what is every man's chief concern should be so few men's conversation. How we shrink from talk about the soul and eternity, about the pilgrim way and the celestial city, about God and Christ! What a poor book Bunyan's great allegory would be, if the travellers to Zion never had opened their hearts to each other as they paced the King's high road. The book to which I owe so much had scarcely been worth the reading. What a different life Bunyan himself would have led, if the Lord's people had had nothing to say to one another about His grace to them. It was, you remember, the talk of three or four poor women sitting in the sun on Bedford Street, who spake as if joy did make them speak, it was this which convinced him that he was still outside the family and the fold of the Good Shepherd. There may be listeners of whom I am not aware, when I recount the great things my Saviour has done. There is one Listener of whom I can be sure. The Lord hearkens and hears, and a book of remembrance is written before Him.

(A. Smellie.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

WEB: Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.




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