My nephew David recently turned 5. He is extremely bright, kind and talkative.
I enjoy holding conversations with him because he is so interesting, humorous and loveable. He began speaking clearly when he was 2, but before that he would go on and on, but no one understood a word he said.
I thought it was so interesting how he would calmly walk up to me, not much taller than knee height, gesture with his hands and go on and on with passion and focus without any of us understanding a word he said. Now that did not deter him, he kept on, until one day his words were clear.
Thinking about David, I decided to listen to things I said during a day. I made this decision because I wanted to be fully aware of the context, intentions and literal meaning of the things I allowed to come out of mouth.
Like David, I want to be understood. But even more so, I do not want to offend or be presumptious in my speaking. In fact, I realize I am accountable for the words I say.
I often meditate on the things Jesus taught in the 12th chapter of Matthew. "...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," he said. We literally have power by our words to give life to things or to give death to things.
There is a Proverb in the Bible that says "death and life are in the power of the tongue."
Sometimes after we see the initial response of our negative words we say, "I didn't mean that." Then there are times we will couch our words by saying, "I hope I can say this right."
Many of us say things brazenly and daringly because we want to be the firebrands in the conversation. Some of us speak as renegades and bullies.
The question is this, are my words acceptable in God's sight? Do I speak with the understanding that God is in my company? Do I speak with love and honest words?
King David was a man after God's own heart. He also shared our common tendencies, appetites, desires, challenges and insecurities. The thing is, David understood and embraced the reality of who God is. He is our Creator, our God, our Help..., well, our Everything.
As he often did, David wrote of God's glorious and magnificent works. In Psalm 19, the king declared the awesomeness of God. He ends the psalm with this interesting statement: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight; O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
I found this to be a powerful ending to this writing. After it is all said and done, Lord, allow the words of my mouth, what I meditate and think about in my heart and my mind be acceptable in Your presence. That is my prayer. I hope you will make it yours.
Jones is a former writer for the Coastal Courier and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance. She is a licensed evangelist and the executive administrator for Mount Zion Ministries, Hinesville.
I enjoy holding conversations with him because he is so interesting, humorous and loveable. He began speaking clearly when he was 2, but before that he would go on and on, but no one understood a word he said.
I thought it was so interesting how he would calmly walk up to me, not much taller than knee height, gesture with his hands and go on and on with passion and focus without any of us understanding a word he said. Now that did not deter him, he kept on, until one day his words were clear.
Thinking about David, I decided to listen to things I said during a day. I made this decision because I wanted to be fully aware of the context, intentions and literal meaning of the things I allowed to come out of mouth.
Like David, I want to be understood. But even more so, I do not want to offend or be presumptious in my speaking. In fact, I realize I am accountable for the words I say.
I often meditate on the things Jesus taught in the 12th chapter of Matthew. "...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," he said. We literally have power by our words to give life to things or to give death to things.
There is a Proverb in the Bible that says "death and life are in the power of the tongue."
Sometimes after we see the initial response of our negative words we say, "I didn't mean that." Then there are times we will couch our words by saying, "I hope I can say this right."
Many of us say things brazenly and daringly because we want to be the firebrands in the conversation. Some of us speak as renegades and bullies.
The question is this, are my words acceptable in God's sight? Do I speak with the understanding that God is in my company? Do I speak with love and honest words?
King David was a man after God's own heart. He also shared our common tendencies, appetites, desires, challenges and insecurities. The thing is, David understood and embraced the reality of who God is. He is our Creator, our God, our Help..., well, our Everything.
As he often did, David wrote of God's glorious and magnificent works. In Psalm 19, the king declared the awesomeness of God. He ends the psalm with this interesting statement: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight; O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
I found this to be a powerful ending to this writing. After it is all said and done, Lord, allow the words of my mouth, what I meditate and think about in my heart and my mind be acceptable in Your presence. That is my prayer. I hope you will make it yours.
Jones is a former writer for the Coastal Courier and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance. She is a licensed evangelist and the executive administrator for Mount Zion Ministries, Hinesville.