“Words of the Mouth, Meditations of the Heart"

"Words of the Mouth, Meditations of the Heart"

     

     "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed… Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Psalm 77:3; Matthew 12:34).

     So, which is it?  Does the tongue influence the spirit, or does the spirit rather motivate the words of our mouths?  The answer is both, even as David implied in his prayer for God's grace and keeping of both components of our being: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

    First, what we allow ourselves to verbally express has much to do with the internal environment of our thoughts, emotions, and determinations.  We've likely all heard and perhaps even said, "I would complain, but it wouldn't do any good!"  This is true.  However, we usually leave out the Psalmist's realization that complaining does much harm, namely, a spirit overwhelmed.  We hurt our walk with God in His contentment, peace, and joy when we leave our tongues to their natural inclination toward unbelief and carnality.  As my wife Frances says, our hearts hear what our tongue utters, and are either positively or negatively influenced by the content and tone.  "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21).  Thus, we do well to consistently seek God's leading and enabling regarding what we say, whether in the self talk most people utter, or in earshot of others to whom do either great benefit or harm with our words.  "Set a watch, o Lord, before my mouth.  Keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

    We also do well to frequently keep our internals, as it were, before the inspection of our Heavenly Father.  "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).  Our words not only affect our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.  They also express our inner spiritual condition.  Regarding our current consideration, a heart of faith and submission to God consistently speaks words that reflect His character, nature, and way, along with the conviction of His loving involvement in all things of our lives.  This includes what we say, and what we don't say.  Living words come from from the trusting believer committed to the living Word Himself, the Lord Jesus.  Moreover, words of death are consistently caught before uttered by those who realize the dire consequences of fouled and bitter waters proceeding forth from tongues that belong to God.  "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 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?" (James 3:9-11).

   "The tongue can no man tame… Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies" (James 3:8; Psalm 119:36).  Acceptable words of the mouth and meditations of the heart proceed from the leading and enabling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Our role involves the recognition of His promised grace and our perpetual need regarding these vital matters of our walk with the Lord.  Godly thinking and speaking do not just happen.  We must recognize our Lord's commitment to our thoughts and words.  We then join Him in devotion to the same, and to the expectation that He will faithfully enable us as we faithfully trust Him.  The words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts.  Only through the Lord Jesus can they consistently form and flow as the sweet waters acceptable in God's sight.

"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge."

(Proverbs 23:12)

Weekly Memory Verse

    Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

(Galatians 5:16)