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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
When I was a child in Sunday school, we were challenged to memorize Bible verses. I recall being very proud of the fact that I memorized Psalm 19 in its entirety (not 119, mind you!).
I can’t recite the Psalm word for word today, but the verses remain easily recognizable. When I stumble across even a portion of it in a devotional or hear it quoted in a worship service, it gives me the same warm feeling I experience when unexpectedly encountering an old friend.
I can’t recite the Psalm word for word today, but the verses remain easily recognizable. When I stumble across even a portion of it in a devotional or hear it quoted in a worship service, it gives me the same warm feeling I experience when unexpectedly encountering an old friend.
All of the verses in the Psalm are a testament to the glory of God and His sovereignty, but the verse that sometimes haunts me is the last one:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14.
I wish I could say the words of my mouth are always acceptable in my Lord’s sight, but oh my, how far short of the mark I fall—and way too often!
Why do I say things to family members or friends that I know will only serve to antagonize, create enmity, or cause strife? Even as the words form in my brain, a part of me struggles to trap them in my throat before they escape my lips, but they tumble out anyway.
Once spoken, they steal joy from the soul like fire sucks oxygen from a room. They can’t be retrieved, and the restoration of a relationship tarnished by thoughtless words can take months to repair.
I wish I could say the words of my mouth are always acceptable in my Lord’s sight, but oh my, how far short of the mark I fall—and way too often!
Why do I say things to family members or friends that I know will only serve to antagonize, create enmity, or cause strife? Even as the words form in my brain, a part of me struggles to trap them in my throat before they escape my lips, but they tumble out anyway.
Once spoken, they steal joy from the soul like fire sucks oxygen from a room. They can’t be retrieved, and the restoration of a relationship tarnished by thoughtless words can take months to repair.
What does God see when He peers into the meditation of my heart?
Surely one would expect God to turn away in sorrow and disgust when He searches the hearts of His children. Yet, the last words of this verse tell us that He does not.
He is our Rock, the One we can seek when we doubt, cry out to when we are angry, the One who humbles us when we are proud.
He is our Redeemer, who purges the evil from our hearts and makes us new. He waits patiently for us to ask forgiveness for our unclean thoughts, our penchant to put self before Him, our desire to fulfill our will rather than His.
Is God pleased with the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart?
How do you rejoice in His love and forgiveness?
- Pride
- Self-indulgence
- Anger
- Doubt
Surely one would expect God to turn away in sorrow and disgust when He searches the hearts of His children. Yet, the last words of this verse tell us that He does not.
He is our Rock, the One we can seek when we doubt, cry out to when we are angry, the One who humbles us when we are proud.
He is our Redeemer, who purges the evil from our hearts and makes us new. He waits patiently for us to ask forgiveness for our unclean thoughts, our penchant to put self before Him, our desire to fulfill our will rather than His.
Is God pleased with the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart?
How do you rejoice in His love and forgiveness?
Bio: Patti Shene has always harbored a desire to write that great American novel, but still falls far short of reaching that goal. She loves to encourage and promote other writers through her website. In January, she launched Literally Speaking, a Blog Talk Radio show with The Road Less Traveled Internet Ministries that praises the truth in God’s creation as manifested through human imagination.
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