Psalm 19 verse 14 – May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
When I read the bible I often try to find a way to relate it back to myself, and I found myself entering into a dialogue with myself on the points raised in this verse.
The Words of my Mouth
Firstly, what are the words of my mouth? Well, obviously they are the things I say! But to read into it further, the words I say represent the outer layer of my life – the public face that people see and hear. I want my words and my deeds, my conduct if you will, to be pleasing to God, so that as I honour God with my actions people will see in my life a reflection of Christ.
Our outward actions aren't always a good reflection of who we are though. Listen to the following story Jesus tells:
Luke 18 verses 10-14 – "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'
"But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other…"
The Pharisee, a religious leader, used all the right words and had the appearance of a man living right with God, but it was just a self-righteous façade. The tax-collector knew he was a sinner and was open and honest with God about it.
The Meditation of my Heart
There is another layer to our lives, the inward layer that only God sees – the meditation of my heart. While my outward face may seem bright and rosy it is often a different story behind the plastic smile.
I want my public image to glorify God and bring honour to His name, but it is even more important to me that my heart is pleasing to God. If my motives for doing the right thing are wrong, the praise of men will mean nothing when I stand before the judgement of God, who sees and knows all things. And so I readily join David in praying that my heart too may be pleasing to God.
My Rock and My Redeemer
But enough about focusing on me and my actions and thoughts; who is the God that I serve? He is my rock and my redeemer. By rock I see God as firm, strong and immovable. Whereas I buckle under pressure and shift with the different tides of the day, God remains the same, unchanged and untainted by the fickleness of men. While I know that I can fail God, God will never fail me.
2 Timothy 2 verse 13 – if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.
And it is this strong, unfailing, faithful God who I call upon as my redeemer. The concept of redemption is simply defined as the process of being freed from bondage by the payment of a ransom by a redeemer. I was in bondage to sin, but God has chosen to be my redeemer, sending His only son Jesus to pay the price for my freedom.
Jesus died a painful death on a barbaric, wooden cross so that I, messed up and broken, could live. I was undeserving, yet He paid an unfathomable price for my freedom. Is it any wonder my heartfelt prayer is to live a life pleasing to him?
Thomas Devenish lives in Hobart, Tasmania. One of nine children, He works as a motion graphics editor and enjoys photography and the creative arts.
Thomas Devenish's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/thomas-devenish.html