Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

I just returned home from a week in New England visiting my mother-in-law and doing some work for her.  I took Monday afternoon to visit Rockport…a place that my wife and I have enjoyed for many years.  It was a beautiful day and, because it was mid-week during the off season, it was not overcrowded.  I entered one of the nicer galleries/gift shops to look for a painting to match one that we had.  Since no one else was in the shop, the proprietor and I got to talking and covered a variety of topics related to family and life.  Eventually she brought the conversation around to faith in God and what He has done in her life, her husband’s life and the life of other family members.  I eventually needed to leave as my body had begun to crash and I had to drive home.  However, while my body was weakened, my soul was refreshed and encouraged…not because we had a great theological discussion or had resolved some major issue, but simply because one Christian shared how God was at work in her life.

TobyMac has a “Speak Life” campaign that sends out reminders on social media to be careful how we interact.  It is something that has been helpful to me.  In that light, I’d like to address some basic truths in the passage above which happens to be one that I have prayed for myself and my family on a regular basis for years.

While the saying about “sticks and stones” would lead us to believe that words can’t hurt us, in fact they can and often cut to our very souls.  However, words also bless and encourage us.  We see this contrast in Proverbs 16 verses 27 and 24:  “A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire” compared to “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”  Our choice of words can either scorch or heal.  Further, there may be times when we must be firm, set boundaries or reprimand; yet, even then we are reminded to “speak the truth in love”.  (Ephesians 4:15)

When we dig deeper, we realize that what we say has much to do with what we spend our time thinking about.  As this verse indicates, not only do we need to watch our speech, but also the meditations of our hearts.   Christ warns us about this problem in Luke 6:45: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”   If we are constantly focused on all of the unpleasant things that have happened to us and are self-absorbed, our speech will not be useful to anyone.  But, if we  apply Philippians 4:8 to our lives (“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”), our comments and interactions will be beneficial, healing and encouraging.

Psalm 19 ends with what may be a highly overlooked phrase that is the basis for the peace that should guard our meditations and our speech.  God in Christ is our Redeemer.  Further God is our Rock.  Because we were loved, forgiven and redeemed when we were sinful and unlovable, we need to extend the same love and forgiveness to those around us.  Further, because God is our Rock, He is both our fortress and the solid foundation upon which we stand.  When we live by God’s principles, trust in His promises, and stand on His truths, we are unshakable and we don’t fear the threats that may come our way.  The result is a peaceful demeanor that meditates on the things of God, uses them to guard our speech and allows us to be an encouragement to others.

I left the shop on Monday with a much lighter heart than when I entered.  I was truly blessed by a brief encounter with a woman whom I had never met before because she chose to reach out with godly love and boldness.  As you live your life, remember that God is your Rock and your Redeemer; spend your time meditating on His word, His promises and all of the things that are lovely and true; allow them to calm you and guide you; and as you encounter others, speak peace and truth even to strangers so that you may be a messenger of God’s peace, love, guidance, and encouragement.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Colossians 3:17