ONE VERSE, THREE IMPORTANT THINGS
Psalms 19:14 NKJV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
When you are reading your Bible, there will be times when nothing seems to “click” for you in a chapter. And this is particularly of interest to those of you who write notes or journal entries that correspond with your reading. One thing you can do is to go back and read and reread the chapter. Sometimes, it takes me a bit to get my mind quiet. At other times, going to the Psalms or Proverbs is a solid alternative plan. After reading our chapter in the Book of Revelation, I went to our Psalm for today and immediately resonated with verse 14.
This is a short verse with a wealth of information that pertains to our everyday life. Many people have been led to believe that Christianity is all about the do’s and don’ts. They miss the importance of relationship with the Lord, but there are some other vital things missed if our life with the Lord is limited only to actions. When I was growing up, the big things that characterized a true Christian was whether someone smoked or drank alcohol. Those are outward actions that may or may not reveal what is in someone’s heart. And although I neither smoke nor drink, our verse for today reveals bigger things that help define our life with the Lord.
David, the author of Psalm 19, wanted to make sure that two things about his life were acceptable in the sight of the Lord. One of these things can be observed by others and one thing is totally hidden. David wanted his words and his thoughts to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. Words can be observed and judged, but the meditations of our hearts are hidden from sight. David wanted both right to the Lord.
We live in a day where ‘just saying’ and ‘only thinking’ are considered harmless. People have diminished the importance of our words and thoughts as if they carried no value at all. But David knew better. According to Proverbs 18:21, our words are seeds that contain life or death. Jesus said we will give an account of every nonproductive word (Matthew 12:36). We are the only one of God’s creations with the ability to speak and being made in His image. He made us with this verbal capacity. So, our words most definitely matter.
The meditations of our heart are the beginning of the actions of our lives. Jesus stated that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The mouth-to-heart connection is much more important to heaven than it is to this world’s culture. Thoughts allowed to stay in the wrong direction can lead to words and actions in the wrong direction. Conversely, when our thoughts and words align with God’s will, we are on solid ground.
The third important takeaway from this verse is how David sees the Lord—not seeing with the natural eye but with a heart revelation of God being David’s strength or rock and redeemer. God is the One David is looking to for strength and for deliverance from the hand of the enemy. So this begs the question, who do we believe God is to us? Savior, Lord, and Almighty God? Those are good, but don’t stop there. How about Shepherd, Healer, and Wisdom? And Provider, Protector, and Strength?
So, in the words of our mouths and in the mediations of our hearts, let’s expand our view of God by declaring who He is to us.
PRAYER
Lord may my words and thoughts be good in your eyes. You are so much bigger than I have acknowledged. Help me expand my vision of You.