The Bible talks about tasting the Word of God and compares language to the vivid experience of a strong flavor (Psalm 119:103, Hebrews 6:5). I will never forget when an elder lady from a neighboring church hugged me and whispered an encouragement in my ear. I would have been embarrassed had anyone else heard her, but she was perfectly discreet and outlandishly kind. Her words brought healing to my soul. She made me feel valued and loved just as I am. That memory still makes me feel good because her words had a strong flavor, sweet and soothing.
As that sweet lady showed me, words can bring comfort, hope, and love. They can refresh us, strengthen us, and nourish our spirit when we are emotionally weary. They can help us draw together in unity and peacefulness. Words can be comfort food. Words can also bring bitterness and resentment. Words can spread anger and division between us, breaking relationships apart. They can burn, sting, and crush us apart inside, destroying our peace. Words can be poison.
Psalm 19:14 is a prayer that centers on our language, and reminds us that the words of our mouth begin with the meditations of our heart. The words we let in, and the thoughts we entertain, will be the fodder for the words that come out (Matthew 12:34). If we meditate on God’s word, then the words of our mouth will be naturally sweetened by God’s goodness and kindness.
Make Psalm 19:14 (ESV) your prayer today:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Devotion by Kristi Moore
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