Numbers 12:1-2 “1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?’ And the Lord heard it.”

What a powerful lesson we can learn about the superb hearing of the Lord. Here in this passage we see Aaron and Miriam complaining about Moses’ wife. Now understand – we don’t know for sure who this woman was, but we do know that the term “Cushite” referred to her skin being dark. So Aaron’s and Miriam’s problem with her was her skin color.

Now isn’t this a great verse to discuss with our children, considering the times in which we live. There is racial unrest everywhere. People hate people just because their skin is a different color. When we talk about people or call them names the Lord still hears. He is just as disappointed today as He was then.

If you read on in the passage you will see that this one little conversation, perhaps in private, had consequences, and I don’t mean just on Miriam (her leprosy). Her punishment caused the ENTIRE nation to have to wait until she could be pronounced clean. We need to teach our children that their words can have consequences. They can hurt people who in turn could hurt people who in turn…. Well, you see where this is going.

The Lord is ALWAYS listening. He knows our words even before we say them. He wants our words to be encouraging and loving. So teach your little ones the power of their words. Teach them to build up and not destroy.