Do you ever find yourself at a loss for words when a friend or family member needs encouragement? In Isaiah 50:4 we read—“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.”
The context is the third great Servant songs of Isaiah, which are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. On four occasions the Servant begins a declaration with the phrase, “The Lord God” (4, 5, 7, and 9). This phrase could be translated as “My Master, God.” In other words, the Servant declares His absolute submission to God. It is in this submission that He finds His help.
What did the Lord give Him that provided such help? He gave him the “tongue of disciples.” That phrase is a curious one, but it simply means the tongue of one who has been instructed in speaking the word of God. The Servant learned through His own rejection how to comfort others.
Do you want to know how you can develop an “instructed tongue?” First, He gave regular attention to the instruction of the Lord (4). Second, He was obedient to all that God taught (5). Finally, this obedience confirmed His trust in the Lord. “Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God” (10).
Prayer: Help me to give attention to Your Word and to obey it fully. Amen.