With My Mouth

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever;

with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness

to all generations."

Psalm 89:1 ESV

There are many ways to use my mouth.  I can speak out against injustice, fight cruelty, expose corruption.  I can inspire others to stand up for freedom and liberty, to defend our rights, to preserve our nation as it was created to exist.  I can get up on my soap box to enlighten others on how to live, what to wear, who we should become.  

There are many things that get my motor running and drive me to speak up.  While my mouth is used for a variety of causes, I can take a lesson from David and his desire that spoke to God's heart.  I can use my mouth to tell everyone of God's faithfulness; His steadfast character that never changes and on which can always be counted.  Now this is something to sing about, to shout from the rooftops!

Steadfast Love.  When I try to comprehend the concept of infinity, it hurts my brain.  Everything in my little world has a beginning and an end, a finite boundary.  Thinking about space going on forever is impossible.  How could I keep going and going and going and never find the end?  Or to ponder the fact that I could start counting now and never be finished; that I could just continue forever.  It's just plain crazy!

As much trouble as I have thinking about the limitlessness of space or the endlessness of the sequence of natural numbers, it cannot compare to the boundless nature of God's love.  His love can always be counted on because it is part of His character.  Paul tried to describe God's love by saying it was his desire that we could "have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Ephesians 3:18 NLT)  It cannot be contained nor can it's immenseness be defined.  His love just is.

With this kind of love I can endure all things, let go of hurts, always have hope, rejoice in truth victories, never give up and cease from losing faith (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).  Rooted in God's love I will worry less about being right and getting my own way and more about letting His light shine through me.  I will be complete in the "fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:19 NLT)

Let my mouth always speak of the steadfast love of God that is mine through faith in Jesus Christ.

Covenant.  I am securely planted in God's family, surrounded by brothers and sisters who share a common bond.  Even though I often feel as if I don't belong, like someone is about to tap me on the shoulder and say, "I'm sorry, but you can't be here.  I don't know who you think you are, but this is not for you," I do belong.  My membership in this exclusive family has been guaranteed for me by the promise of God that is delivered through Christ Jesus.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, I am secure in His clutches, firmly planted in the middle of a world-wide family who accepts me as one of their own (1 John 3:1, John 1:12).

Now this is something to shout about!  What a benefit I enjoy through faith in Jesus!  Doesn't every human want to belong?  To fit  in?  To feel welcomed and valued?  Isn't this message of having a place in this world one that each person could welcome, even if it may seem foreign or foolish on the surface?  Yes.  This is the kind of message that resonates with all image-bearers because it is why we were made.  We were created for God and without Him, we are left seeking for something that will satisfy.  He also placed in us a desire to connect in meaningful ways with other humans, and there is no better place to do this than in the center of a family where we are safe and valued.

Let my mouth always speak of the covenant of God that delivers me into His family by faith in Jesus Christ.

Might.  I love to read stories about great battles.  It's not that I like fighting and warfare, but I am drawn to clashes between good and evil.  There is also something in me that desires someone to fight for me, to love me so much that they are willing to risk life and limb to save me.  I guess it's the dream of every girl to be rescued from evil by her knight in shining armor.  

Perhaps God wired me this way to draw me to Jesus (John 6:44, John 14:6).  You see, out of His great love for me He sent Jesus as my Knight in shining armor to rescue me from certain death.  I was in jeopardy of suffering eternal punishment as well as living a meaningless life of worthlessness and emptiness until He saved me (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, John 10:10.  This unlikely hero plucked me from the clutches of Death, drawing me into His loving arms and giving me reason to carry on.  He is now my Warrior who fights my battles for me, vanquishes darkness and avenges evil.

Let my mouth always speak of the valor of a God who is my mighty Warrior.

It's easy for me to get up on a soap box.  While there are many issues of which I could speak, it would please God if I would follow in David's footsteps and use my mouth to make His faithfulness known to all.  I can count on His steadfast love, the security of His promise, and the power of His might: What a better purpose to use my mouth to speak!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will trust God to do as He has said He would do.

When do I doubt my inclusion in His family?

How am I trying to fight my own battles?

The Splendor of His Glory

"Come and see what God has done,

his awesome deeds for mankind!"

Psalm 66:5

Guilt weighs me down, propelling me to move as if my life depended on it.  Sorrow grieves my heart, sinking me down into a miry pit.  Ambition lights a fire in me, inspiring me to do God's job for Him.  It's easy to get off track, to focus on the wrong things in life.  

I face hard things on a daily basis; life is definitely not a walk through the park.  Most of the time it is a challenge with various obstacles breaking my pace, pitfalls wreaking havoc and dangers lurking.  Consequently, it's easy to pay attention only to what is wrong, difficult or broken.  Then He tugs at my heart, gently whispering in my ear.  Look!  Come and see what I have done!  And I turn, retraining my focus to the work of His mighty hand and see it: The splendor of His glory that is hidden all around me.

Miracles.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  He was like a different person, renewed and refreshed.  Where there once was a hard countenance, now I saw a gentle peace.  Instead of angry bitterness that colored his life, I detected an acceptance of his circumstances, a contentment with his lot in life.  While there used to be nothing but disappointment for the course his journey had taken, now he eagerly looked forward to what was coming next.  There was no way to explain it except to say God had worked a miracle in this man's life.

A miracle is an event that blows the mind, sweeping away expectations for how life normally goes and stumping scientific attempts to find answers to explain how it all came about.  It is the work of a mighty God.  There are all kinds of wonders that can't be attributed to man or nature.  The transformation of a heart, healing of a marriage, change of course for the trajectory of the prodigal.  Then there are the rescues from a burning building where death was certain but extraordinarily avoided, the inexplicable recovery from the disease that had all but snuffed out life, the near miss that left everyone in tears.

Come and see what miracles God has done; look for them!

Might.  It may seem like no one is managing this crazy planet that seems to be spinning out of control.  I look around me and see pain, brokenness and suffering.  Who's at the helm of this sinking ship?

Things are not what they seem.  Behind it all, God is on the throne, ruling with mighty power.  His hand upholds kingdoms, faithfully directing the details of our lives and enacting justice with perfect righteousness.  He is in control, of that I can be sure.  Even though this world is broken by sin and infiltrated by the enemy of my soul, the evil is not sovereign over all things;  God is.  Only the Maker of heaven and earth has authority to attend to the affairs of His people, enact vengeance and bring about salvation.

Come and see the might of our great God!

Mindful.  "Why did you turn the water faucet on?"  I asked my daughter as she came through the back door, screen door slamming behind her.  

"How did you know?" she asked, seriously confused that I would be aware of her secret doings.

"I'm a mother.  We have our ways."

While I may have convinced my young daughters that I possessed some kind of superpower while they were growing up, a mother is nothing compared to God.  He is aware of my comings and goings, my quirky ways and every thought that passes through my mind.  He even knows the words that shoot out of my mouth without thought or intention.  In short, He understands me completely, better than I know myself (Psalm 139:1-4).

With such a God as this, why do I think I must direct my own footsteps, make my dreams come true, promote my own self?  God is mindful of me and has the better plan for my life.  If I would get out of the way, He is ready to get to work placing me where He wants me, giving me the good gifts He has in mind for me, using me how He will best make His name known.

Come and see the mindfulness of our attentive God!

It's easy for me to get caught up in all that is wrong in this world.  After all, there is an abundance.  But the good news is that God is always at work and is a good God, meaning the miraculous and mighty works of a mindful God are all around me.  All it takes is for me is to come and see the splendor of His glory!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be mindful of God, knowing that He is paying attention to me.

When do I miss all the good because I'm focused on what is wrong?

How am I stubbornly insisting on explaining miracles away instead of giving God the glory for the great things He has done and is doing?