May 26 2021

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

The words we speak are significant and have a lot of power. In a world where people freely speak their minds, Christians need to live by a higher standard. We can't just say whatever we think. The Bible has much to tell us about how our words affect others.

Psalm 19:14 references the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts. This Scripture shows us the connection between what comes out of our mouths and the condition of our hearts … because they affect each other.

In Greek, the word for heart refers to our minds—our thoughts and feelings. In Hebrew, the word for heart refers to our intellect and will. When someone talks about the heart of a tree, they are referring to the very core or center of the tree. So what David is saying in this Psalm can be paraphrased as, Let the very core of me, let my emotions, feelings, and thoughts be acceptable in your sight, Lord.

Meditation on God's Word causes our hearts and words to be acceptable to God. Every day we need Him to lead us and help us understand His Word so that we can apply it to our lives.

We can be grateful that God is merciful enough to help us and correct us when we say the wrong things. And we can allow what He is teaching us through these times to change our hearts and minds.

Heavenly Father, I'm grateful that you are always working in my heart to make me more like you. Help me think about each and every word I speak. When I misspeak, help me realize that I am following my own desire to say what I want. Give me understanding when I study your Word, and help me to think and meditate on what you say to me. In Jesus' name, amen.

May 25 2021

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?:

The apostle Paul was convinced that nothing could separate us from God's love. He had experienced trials of every kind but knew that God was faithful and had never left him.

The Bible says that five times Paul received 39 stripes (he was whipped), he was beaten with rods three times, stoned once, was shipwrecked and in the water for 24 hours, endured hunger and thirst, was cold and naked, and had been robbed for his faith in God.

Yet even after all that, Paul knew the power of God and the benefit of resting in the Lord.

Most of us will never face this type of persecution in our lifetime. Yet we may feel discouraged and wonder if God still hears us when we pray during tough times.

As followers of Jesus, faith means that we don't base our reality on what we see. Trusting God and having hope in Him is foundational to our beliefs. Even when life is spinning out of control, our certainty is based on God's Word.

We must be fully convinced that there is nothing man can do to us that will take God's love from our lives. There is also nothing we can do to cancel God's love for us.

God, I'm so thankful that no matter how unbearable life seems or how I'm tempted, your peace lets me know that you love me. Help me remember that when my own heart is condemning me. I am amazed at your love for me, and I know that nothing can separate me from your love. In Jesus' name, amen.
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