What I say, and what I think, needs to be up to God's standard.

Part 1

David begins his Psalm with the beauty and wonder of our Creator and His Creation (vv. 1-6).  He then moves on to the Word of God and how it affects us (vv. 7-11).  He finishes the Psalm asking Jehovah for help with overcoming sin.  Sins in general (vv. 12-13), and sins of the mouth and thoughts specifically in verse 14.

“Let the words of my mouth.”
All the “words of my mouth,” not just my words in church on Sunday.  Speaking words that are “right” in all my public and private life is important to God for me.  The quality of self-control, or the lack of it, shows up quickly in our speech.

“For in many things we offend all.  If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2).

David knew his need.  He is pleading with God for help with his words.  He understood the importance of using speech that edified all those that hear it.  David was wise enough to know that his words did not come from his lips, but from much deeper.

“And the meditation of my heart.”
Words begin in the depths of the heart.  Addressing my words without a focus on the heart will not work.  A person says what he/she says because of what is going on in their heart.  “The tongue is the dipstick of the heart!”[1]  If you want to know what is going on in the heart, just listen carefully to what the mouth speaks.

“Let my mouth speak nothing but what is true, kind, and profitable, and my heart meditate nothing but what is holy, pure, and chaste”[2] (Clarke).

When we meditate on the Word of God, it shows up in our talk.  If we meditate on the world and “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), the things that do not honor the Father, these things bubble up from our thoughts and crowd into our speech as well.

How can we learn to speak in a way the pleases God and edifies people?  Come back tomorrow, and we will keep digging into this verse.

Quote:  “The Word must dwell and abide in us; the heart and life must be under its influence day by day.  Not from without, but from within, comes the quickening of the Word by the Spirit.  Only he who yields himself entirely in his whole life to the supremacy of the Word and the will of God can expect in special cases to discern what that Word and will permit him to ask boldly”[3] (Andrew Murray).

[1] Marty Herron.
[2] Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Andrew Murray’s quote is from his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer.  Downloaded: Monday, August 17, 2020.  From: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/word.