Guard my Thoughts and Direct my Speech
(KJV) Prov 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath:
but grievous words stir up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright:
but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
(NIV) Prov 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
This morning I have read assorted scriptures, which is somewhat unusual for me. Normally, I read and reread a specific scripture. I look at the scriptures before and after, trying to put the reading into context.
I settled on today’s scripture, and I immediately thought of my own speech. While I am not prone to anger, I do sometimes speak without thinking which is never a good thing.
But as I have grown older, I have seen the benefit of keeping my thoughts to myself. Doing so is easier than cleaning up the mess that occurs when I speak before thinking.
Today as I prepare for another week that is busier than it should be for two retired people, I pray that God will direct my thoughts and guide my responses. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to God and uplifting to His people.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let us Draw Near
Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Sometimes I think scripture becomes so familiar that we can miss some of the importance lying therein. And there is the lack of understanding caused by shifting cultures and way of life. The book of Hebrews accounts for a marked change from Old Testament Law to New Testament promise.
We are told in these brief verses that we are to
- draw near
- be sincere
- have faith
- have hope
- spur others on
Because we live on the resurrection side of history, it is easy to miss the full importance of what Jesus did when He became the sacrifice for sinners. Where the blood of animals was symbolic, the sacrifice of Jesus was anything but symbolic. Where Old Testament Law was never meant to save us, but to point us toward the Savior, the promises of the New Testament yield everlasting life to all who believe.
May we cherish the lessons from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and apply these truths to our hearts as we share with others in love and in action.
In the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lift Up Your Hands in Praise
(NIV) Psalm 134
A song of ascents.
1 Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
We have reached the last of our Psalms of Ascent. We have climbed as high as we can climb, and it is time to praise God for all He is worth! In Psalm 30 we are told that weeping lasts only for the night, but joy comes in the morning. But now that we have reached the summit, there is only praise!
He brought me out of the miry clay,
Henry J. Zelley, 1898
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!
I was told as a young girl there is a God-shaped hole in each of our hearts, and it can only be filled by Jesus. Other relationships, while satisfying, will not alleviate the longing deep within. We can buy houses, cars, jewels, but truly only Jesus can satisfy our souls.
Almost fifty years ago, the Holy Spirit fell upon me in such a powerful way that my immediate response was to drop to my knees, and as the tears flowed the praise bubbled up inside of me. I knew then that my life would never be the same.
Then, almost twenty years ago I was in a Bible Study with Rev. Dr. Bryan Fink at Asbury UMC. Bryan emphasized intentional discipleship and I knew that whatever I did from that day forward I had to seek holiness. I have taught holiness, I have preached holiness, and I have lived holiness for most of my life.
Have I been perfected in holiness? No, not this side of heaven. But God is perfecting me in love. I still make mistakes, I still stumble, but my heart’s desire is to be in constant fellowship with Jesus as we travel this pilgrim road, and to take as many people with me as possible.
May we lift our hearts and our voices in continual praise to the One, True, and Living God today and every day, for “every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Unity
(NIV) Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Unity—the quality of being at one with each other, and in this case, particularly at one with God’s people. David is thought to have written this psalm and it expresses God’s desire that His people not be divided by petty differences but instead, come together as one body.
In my lifetime, I have heard of churches splitting over the color of carpet or the style of singing in the worship service. Of course, theological differences involving issues such as human sexuality or eschatological (end time) predictions have not only severed churches but entire denominations.
David compares living together in unity to the precious oil used to anoint a priest. The oil would run down the head of the priest, onto his beard and then onto his robe. It was a symbol of abundance as it flowed freely and the pleasant aroma of the oil enhanced the experience.
May we seek out unity in our families, churches and in our communities, knowing that such behavior is pleasing to God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Contentment
(NIV) Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 My heart is not proud, LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
3 Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
Do you know what it means to be content? The dictionary definition is to be pleased, happy, or satisfied. In this short psalm, David not only declares his contentment, but acknowledges being content is a learned behavior. And David says he learned contentment by not giving in to pride, and by calming himself.
David’s youth spent as a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep provided a great backdrop for the person David was to become. He learned that when the sheep became agitated, they needed to be quieted, and he learned the way to help them was to sing and play soothing songs on his harp.
In this passage, David compares himself to a weaned child. We understand that the process of weaning a child is not easy, but it is necessary. Once the process is completed, the child wants to be with his mother not because of what she can give him, but because of who she is. David had learned to desire God, not for what He had given David, but for Who He was. He finishes by counseling Israel to put her hope in God.
Paul speaks of contentment in his letter to the Philippians, 4:11-13, when he says he has learned to be content in all things. Again, Paul says such contentment is a learned behavior.
Consider how we have learned to quiet the fears and concerns in our lives. Is it something physical such as gardening or cooking, or is it spending time in prayer and meditation? Whatever our situation, may we know, believe, and understand that God is our source of contentment, and our very reason for hoping. May we approach Him early and often.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
