I’ve had the same favorite verse for as long as I can remember: Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
But what I forget sometimes is that God gave me this as my favorite verse because I need it.
Words are both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness.
I love words — I love writing them, I love talking, I love singing, I love listening to words being spoken or sung, I even love reading about words.
But I can also obsess over words – what I’ve said or what someone else has said. Words can rattle around in my head for days, weeks, even months, taunting, condemning, and enraging me.
Words are tools that can be used to make others feel ten feet tall or grain-of-sand small. And I have been on the giving and receiving end of both. We all have.
So the Lord reminded me of this verse earlier this month. I was in Florida, visiting friends and family. I spent every day talking and listening to folks I haven’t seen in far too long. And each conversation was so challenging. Many of the people I spoke with are enduring incredibly difficult situations. I was reminded of the Apostle Paul, who told the Philippians that he had learned the secret of contentment in all circumstances: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The testimonies I heard all had that same theme – “life is tough, but God is good.”
As I meditated on this verse, I was reminded that it isn’t just the words that come out of my mouth that I need to surrender to God. It’s the words in my heart. The words that rattle around in my brain. Those are the seeds from which my attitude grows, the branches of the words I speak. If I am thinking angry, negative thoughts, then angry negative words will come out.
But if I am surrendering each thought to Christ, then I can know when I am being sinful or bitter. I can be given the strength to keep silent when I want to lash out. Or, conversely, to say the hard thing rather than staying silent.
This isn’t just a nice verse or the answer to a “Sunday school” question. This verse was given to me decades ago because God knew I needed it branded on my heart and mind. Words can be a weapon or a gift. It’s only through the power of the Holy Spirit that I can use them for good.
