I am sure that if you have been in church long enough, you thought of Psalm 19:14, in its entirety when you read the title of this post. For me its become so easy to repeat the verse “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Sometimes it becomes so easy to wash, rinse, repeat, going through the motions that we forget this statement needs to be fulfilled in our lives. Its not just something we say because we can, or because it is expected of us. These words should be hidden in our hearts that we might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11).
It was during a time of reflection that this verse of scripture kept replaying in my mind. I have repeated this verse so many times, but is it being demonstrated in my life? Is my mouth formulating and releasing words and phrases that is receiving God’s stamp of approval? Has God put a stamp of approval on my mouth? Has He put a stamp of approval on my heart?
As I reflected on this statement I remember when God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, and Samuel stood before David’s brothers, and their outward appearances were so distinguished that Samuel on many occasions found himself saying that this must be the guy. God had to remind him of a simple fact: that while man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart. The meditation of the heart of David’s brothers, was not acceptable to God so He could not use them, but when David walked in God approved Him, not because of how he looked or his complexion or his stature but because the meditation of David’s heart was acceptable (1 Sam 16).
Some of us will say “its not about what I say but about what’s in my heart”, however the state of one, influences and will dictate the content of the other. That’s why David in the Psalm 19:14 paired them in the verse.
If we have pride, arrogance, hate, malice, distrust, unforgiveness or deception and manipulation in our hearts it will be displayed in what we say, and if we have love, patience, longsuffering, kindness, mercy, faith, hope, temperance, meekness they will also be displayed by the words of our mouths.
Jesus in Matthew 12:33-35 (AMP) (also in Luke 6:45) puts it this way “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things.”. He also told the multitude in Matthew 15:10-11 (AMP) to “Listen and understand this: It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”
If the contents of our hearts are not pure it will flow out in what we say, despite the effort to conceal it. James stated “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” (James 3:10-12). This is why the bible states that after being saved we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). We need to go through the contents stored in our minds and the ones that are not pleasing, we need to have them erased from our hard drives, and have our hard drives rewired.
If you are a person who is accustomed to speaking negatively, cursing, gossiping, bad mouthing others, being disrespectful. Your words don’t become acceptable and pleasing overnight. Believe it or not the tongue is something that has to be trained, because no matter our good intentions sometimes, if we aren’t determined to keep the peace or restrain our tongues things can get sour really quickly. We have to know how to reign our tongues in. David in Psalm 34:13 (AMP) understood this principle when he said “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”
It’s the analogy of learning to ride a horse that reminds me of training the tongue the most. When you are riding a horse for the first time you are given basic instructions on 
how to direct the horse from someone who is experienced. However on the trail while riding you may forget and that horse will suddenly start galloping away with you, out of control, and you have no idea how to reign it in. When you take lessons, you gradually become better at restraining the powerful horse that is capable of running wildly with you. When you have become more experienced at the art of riding, you now have the ability to instruct the horse to run wildly, trot, or march. You are the one in control!
Similarly we must become experienced in controlling our tongues, because if we can’t reignour tongues in, then when the time comes and a stimuli (a harsh word, disrespect, someone cursing or yelling) comes in, our tongues will literally begin running wildly. It is such a powerful instrument, because your emotions can take over and anything can happen (James 3:2-12), so you have to train yourself to reign your tongue in. I mean death and li are in the power of the tongue (prov 18:21).
Psalm 141:3-4 (AMP) “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]. Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing, Or to practice deeds of wickedness. With men who plan and do evil; And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).”
David said thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. It does not matter how you came to Christ, and the state of your mouth and heart when you came to Jesus. It is the word of God that contains the trans-formative power to change the contents of your heart which automatically changes the words of your mouth. Meditate on the scriptures. Paul said in Philippians 4:8 (KJV) “finally my brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whosoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things”. Let them simmer in your spirit. When you have free moments purposefully meditate on the things of God, reflect on your testimonies, think on how much you desire to be like Christ, think on the things that Jesus would do, meditate on the fruit of the Spirit and think on examples in your life where you can demonstrate the fruit (Gal.5:22-25), think about how fearfully and wonderfully made you are (Ps. 139), how you are more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37), how the sufferings of this present aren’t worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:18), think of heaven and lay your treasures there (Matt 6:19-21, Luke 12:33-34), think about the fact that you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellowcitizens with the saints (Eph. 2), think on the Love of Jesus and how nothing can separate you from it (Rom. 8:38-39), think on how He died on the cross for your salvation (John 3:16), think on His grace, think on His omniscience, think on the fact that because of your love for Him, and being called according to His purpose all things are working for your good (Rom. 8:28)- Think On These Things! Let these meditations flow out in what you say – the words that you speak.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”(Ps. 19:14)
-Ashley #followerofJesusChrist
