Today’s Reading, Psalms 17, 35,54, & 63
Focal Scripture: Psalms 63:3 “My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.”
What comes off your lips matters. The Bible tells us in James that our tongues are extremely powerful. It can bring life, and it can bring death. It can create unity, or it can bring division. Every time we speak our lips are the first thing that experiences this truth. If you think about how you grew up you can attest to this reality. If you had parents who affirmed you and spoke life into you, you are probably well-adjusted. If you had parents that always nagged you and crushed your spirit, you probably struggle with being to hard on yourself.
In today’s reading, David shows us what we should do when life gets difficult. Instead of complaining and using his lips to sow discord, he uses them to praise the Lord. He wanted to glorify the Lord because his faithful love is better than life itself. David understood that his words had power. He also understood that he could change his mood by how he spoke to himself.
So how do you speak to yourself? Do you remind yourself that his love is better than life? Remember that David is being pursued, and he is in the wilderness as he writes this Psalm. Instead of being negative, he praises the Lord. Instead of making excuses and blaming others, he begins to worship. He knows that God is bigger than his problems. He also knows that his love is better than life.
We all could do a better job of speaking more positively. Some people do nothing but speak negatively, and it creates a horrible culture. Negativity breeds contempt and damages hope. It doesn’t mean that everything in life is always perfect. It doesn’t mean you can’t have moments of frustration. However, as believers, we should always speak words of life and remember the God we worship.
Lips that glorify the Lord, demonstrate that his love is better than life. When we focus on that truth, no obstacle or problem is too great for us to face. Even death itself.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Samuel 28-31 & Psalms 18
