A Faithful Messenger
by Dr. John Tetsola

A wicked messenger falls into adversity, but a faithful envoy brings healing.

Proverbs 13:17 NASB

Truth can only be given within the character and personality of Jesus. If it is not, it has failed as truth, no matter how factual or accurate it is. The Scripture says that a wicked messenger falls into adversity or trouble. Who is a wicked messenger? A wicked messenger is one who, although he may be saying the truth, has conveyed it in the wrong spirit. It is important to note that truth must be given and conveyed in the personality of Christ and not in our personality. While a faithful messenger presents truth in the character of Christ resulting in repentance, an unfaithful messenger presents truth so arrogantly that the one receiving the word may not even be moved to conviction.

In biblical times when a man brought glad tidings from one king to another, the messenger delivered the message while literally showing his king’s emotions. As faithful messengers of Christ, we are conveyers and carriers not only of God’s message, but of His feelings, reactions, and attitude concerning that message. Many accurate words fail as truth not because the word itself is inaccurate, but due to the negative heart attitude of the messenger. A faithful messenger not only reveals the Word of the Lord alone, but the God of the message always accompanies its delivery.

Gehazi - An Unfaithful Messenger

And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her…

2 Kings 4:27a

Elisha sent his messenger Gehazi to ascertain the purpose of the Shunammite woman’s hasty approach. When she passed Gehazi to go directly to the feet of the prophet Elisha, the Bible says, “…but Gehazi came near to thrust her away.” Gehazi lacked the sensitivity and heart attitude of his leader. In the O.T. Gehazi was a person. In the N.T. he’s a spirit. This spirit thrusts God’s people away due to its reckless delivery and misrepresentation of the true heart message of its leader.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

The tongue of the wise promotes healing, but reckless words pierce the soul and can literally bring adversity into a person’s heart. A rescuing word of the Lord falls short of its redemptive power and purpose when it is tainted with the piercing sword of the messenger’s wrong intention. As faithful messengers, guard against wrong heart attitudes that may weaken God’s message. And remember, God always sends His Words with an anticipated outcome of healing and deliverance…“He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20).
 

by Dr. John A. Tetsola