Today’s scripture: Psalm 19:14 (NRSV)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
This verse is a pretty keen summary for living a Christian life.
“Let the words of my mouth…”
Our actions — including our words — are the acid test of whether or not we’re actually following Jesus. Not everyone is a drum major with super-high visibility at all times, but we’re all in the Jesus band for the whole world to see.
“and the meditation of my heart…”
Our actions are strongly influenced by what we’re thinking (meditating) on in our lives. When I’m feeling out of sync with Jesus’ way of living, it’s often because of the type of thoughts I’ve allowed myself to hang on to.
“be acceptable to you…”
Sure, there are plenty of times when I wish God couldn’t read my heart’s “meditations”. (Oh, alright. Grumbling, complaining, mean wishes, raunchy thoughts; you get the idea.) But you know what? The Christian walk is precisely that: a walk, or a journey, through this world as we get closer to heaven every day. I’m not going to waste time by wallowing in an “I can’t be perfect, so I won’t try at all” attitude when I stumble along the way. Jesus never decreed a three-strikes-and-you’re-out clause for his followers.
“O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer.”
It never ceases to amaze me how so much of the Old Testament points toward the New Testament. This passage could easily pass as a quote from a follower of Jesus. He truly is the foundation upon which our lives are based. When I aim to put this into practice because of gratitude for what he already has done for me, it becomes easier than trying to force myself to mechanically do it as a means of “fire insurance.”
Conveniently, Jesus’ words and meditations of his heart are preserved for us in the Bible. I’m convinced it’s perfectly safe to believe that Jesus is pleased when we “plagiarize” his words for use as words coming out of our own mouths and for being instilled upon our own hearts.
Thought for the day: When trying to figure out the way to please God, Jesus’ example — as recorded in the Gospels — makes for an “open book” test.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.