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Living To Please The Lord
Contributed by Louis J Locke on Dec 30, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: Psalm 19 is a psalm of David. David’s prayer is a life-desire to please the Lord; specifically in this verse relating to words spoken and the inward thoughts and ponderings of the heart – desiring that they always be pleasing to the Lord, the One Who is ‘my strength and my redeemer.’
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14
Psalm 19 is a psalm of David. David’s prayer is a life-desire to please the Lord; specifically in this verse relating to words spoken and the inward thoughts and ponderings of the heart – desiring that they always be pleasing to the Lord, the One Who is ‘my strength and my redeemer.’
Wanting to be a ‘God-pleaser’
1. Words and meditations… be pleasing, acceptable (delight, favor) in Your sight…
2. Seen also in Jesus’ life - for I always do those things that please Him (Father God) ~ John 8:29
Correlation of our Words (mouth) and our Thoughts (heart)
1. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ~ Matthew 12:34-35
~ For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. (NAS)
2. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
~ Matthew 15:18
3. These scriptures indicate that our words, the way we talk, is a direct reflection of our heart.
4. David’s prayer in another psalm: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ~ Psalm 51:10
Clarifying: What is ‘acceptable’ and what is not?
1. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. ~ Colossians 4:6
2. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.. ~ Ephesians 4:31
3. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren... ~ James 4:11
4. So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ~1Peter 2:1
5. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ~ Ephesians 4:29
Practical Biblical Directives: Personal responsibility _ Holy Spirit empowered
1. Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. ~ Psalm 34:13
2. He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. ~ Proverbs 13:3
3. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, keeps his soul from troubles. ~ Proverbs 21:23
4. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ~ James 1:26
5. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking lies. ~ 1Peter 3:10