The Words of My Mouth - Open to Misinterpretation series 3

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” —Psalm 19:14

How can we say those words on Sunday, but Monday thru Saturday live like we’ve never heard them? I’m as guilty as the next person. I’ve heard a message on Sunday morning that moved me to tears and tore at my heart until I cried in repentance. Then, the following Wednesday, as I’m moving through my day, all of a sudden I’m confronted by a thought of condemnation about someone or there’s a phrase someone says that sets me off. Where does my mind go immediately? It doesn’t go to comfort that poor soul who said those words to me. No! I think about how I can  get back at them! Where in the world do those thoughts come from?

Truth be told, there is much wisdom in knowing your enemy, who is a fallen angel called satan. He desires to turn our every thought onto his path of destruction. He wants to sever the wonderful relationship he knows we can have with our Savior. Why, he even puts words in our mouths to hurt the people we love the most! I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve used them myself.

There are great verses in James 3 that deal with the tongue (mouth).

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My Brethren, these things ought not to be so.

We need to heed these verses every day. Not just when we feel like it or when we think of it, but make it a pattern to use every time our mouths open.

There are challenges and questions to ask yourself. Do you care enough to guard your mouth against letting it be used to hurt others? Do you care enough about your relationship with your Heavenly Father to not hurt him with your deep digs and careless jokes about family and friends?

Don’t be used by the enemy. Get into the Word and find out for sure what God says about your words. You’ll find healing and comfort there, just like the words we would like someone to speak to us.