Speaking

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Psalm 35:28 What To Talk About

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long. Psalm 35:28

Everyday people talk about many different things, about the weather, politics, sports, their weekend, family, dreams, work and much more. The common factor of what people talk about is that everything that they talk about is something that is important or interesting to them. Other people may or may not care to hear about what someone wants to say. Some may even get angry at what is said, both rightfully and wrongfully said things. Either way, people keep talking about what is on their heart and mind. David had been asking God for help with his enemies.

In the end David said that he would talk of God’s righteousness and His praise all day long.

Talking is communication. It is letting others know what is on one’s heart and mind, and what is important in the moment to the individual. While it may be extremely important to one person, to another person it may not mean anything at all.

The importance is often based on what is occurring in the life of the individual. When good things are happening, people want to rejoice and let others know. During troubling times, people want sympathy or help and are willing to tell others.

Believers have something to say that they whole world needs to hear. It is speaking of the righteousness of God and His praise. God does everything so well and so right that He was willing to send His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, so that sinful mankind, who hated Him, could be saved. Along with doing the greatest thing ever, God also touches lives and meets needs all the time.

God is worthy to be praised and His righteousness talked about all the time.

Take a moment to think about all the good things God has already done for you. Think about how valuable and important many of those things are. Count your blessings that God has blessed you with each moment of every day of your life. It is most likely an extremely long list.

Now be willing to go out and tell others about His righteousness, what God has done for you in both little and great ways. Give God praise for what He has done, both in private and publicly for the world to hear.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the righteousness of God; that you will tell others of God’s righteousness and deeds; that God will give you boldness to speak of Him; and that you will give God praise for who He is and what He has done in your life for the world to hear.

Picture by Aaron Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

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Psalm 34:1 What Is In Your Mouth?

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Words come out of the mouths of every person every day and most often all day long. What people say usually are impacted by what is going on in their lives. When things are going rough, people will tend to complain and holler about what is happening. When things are going great, people will shout out praise about it. Very few things are said on a regular, continual basis with strong belief and conviction.

David, while running from King Saul, said he would bless the Lord at all times and praise Him continually with his mouth.

It is easy to talk praises and blessings when things are going well. During times when everything is going well, people are happy and content and are willing to let everyone know about it. In the same way, when things are going terrible, people want to scream about it and let the world know that they are in misery.

Along with letting the world know, many will also get angry with God during difficult times. Quickly people will blame God for things going wrong in their lives.

Believers in the church will often fall into this same pattern as the world, praising God during good times and getting angry at Him during hard times.

Rather than getting angry with God, believers should stop and take time to bless and praise Him with their hearts and mouths. Acting in this way shows that the believer is trusting God with all of one’s heart, soul and mind. It is recognizing that God knows what is best in one’s life at all times and giving Him praise, even for the hard times.

Blessings and praise of God should continually come out of the mouths of every believer.

You have opportunities to speak every day to other people throughout the day. Along with talking to other people, you can speak to God at all times.

Ask yourself what you are talking about and what words are coming out of your mouth about the situations you are currently going through each day. Are there words of complaint and anger? Or are there words of blessing and praise coming out of your mouth.

Trust that God knows what is best for your life in every situation and give Him blessings and praise for all the world to see and know.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know that God has your best in mind in every situation; that you will trust God’s control in your life; and that you will give God blessings and praise in every situation for the world to hear.

Picture by Ben White on Unsplash

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Psalm 17:3 What Will God Find?

You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Psalm 17:3

During a time of what most people think of testing there is a revealing of what a person knows or does not know. People study some subject for a time and then are tested on what they have learned or to reveal what they are short in. Other types of testing, not commonly thought of, do not reveal knowledge but will reveal character traits or how a person will react in a situation.

As David calls out to God, he points out that God has tested his heart and tried him but found nothing wrong. David made it a purpose that he would not say anything that would transgress against God.

Being tested for knowledge creates a lot of anxiety for most people. They are not always sure of themselves in what they should know. Testing of character is often overlooked or ignored, but will also reveal a lot of hidden truth in a person.

It is common for many people to live and speak one way in front of one group of people, but live and speak completely differently in front of another group of people. Their character is not true at all times, and this can often be found in believers in the church, especially in what they say.

Strong believers will make a choice to watch what they say regardless of who they are around. Their words will be words that would please God at all times. Every believer needs to allow God to test them to see what they are really like. God already knows the heart but needs to have it revealed for what it is.

Each day you are among different groups of people. It may be family, friends, co-workers, or just other strangers. Examine your life and see if your words and actions are the same among all of them.

Allow God to test and examine your heart and reveal how you truly are in what you say or do. Live your life in such a way and make it your purpose to say or do nothing that will be a sin against God in private or in public.

What will the test God give you reveal?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will make it the purpose of your life to not say or do anything against God; that God will test your heart to reveal your true character; and that you will found living your whole life for God’s glory.

Picture by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

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Job 27:3-4 Refusing To Speak Wickedness Or Deceit

As long as my breath is in me, and the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. Job 27:3-4

Nearly everyday people get phone calls offering them the deal of the lifetime. Very often those ‘deals’ are deceiving scams just to get their money and give them nothing of any value. Along with getting those phone calls, people will watch and talk about evil things, most often promoting the wickedness as good. The world has no standard that guides how they speak or what they talk about.

Job states that as long as he can breathe, he will not speak any wickedness or deceit.

No matter where a person lives, there is wickedness and deceit. This can be easily seen on television but is also promoted in places of work and in most other public places.

It is common for people to ‘stretch’ the truth so that they do not get into trouble or to get someone else into trouble. This is a form of deceit. And talking about and promoting any wicked activity, in any form, is speaking of wickedness in the wrong way.

Believers are often caught up in speaking as the world does. They deceive other believers into thinking that they are holy while at the same time purposefully living in sin. It is common to hear believers talking about the same evil things as good as the world does.

The words of believers are to always be truth and good, filled with life or pointing to life in God. Jesus said He is Truth and believers are to be just like Him, truth, not deception or wickedness. Just as Job vowed to not speak of wickedness or in deceit, believers need to commit to not speaking of wickedness or in deceit.

As a human being, you speak every day to someone. Take time to think about what you are saying. Fill your heart and mind with the things of God, His word, His love and His ways.

The more you are filled with God’s word and love, the more you will speak His truth and not speak anything that is wicked or deceitful. You will no longer want to harm anyone else by your words or promote any sin as good. Commit to speaking the words of God, not the words of the world.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will give you the words to speak; that God will help you to keep from speaking in any deceitful way; that you will speak what is good and true in the sight of God; and that the world will know you love God by your words and actions.