Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
Your words will be a blessing when you have:
An open ear
Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (Jas. 1:19). Having an open ear means listening to the words of others. It also means listening to the Word of God. “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips” (Prov. 22:17-18). The “words of the wise” are the words of Scripture. What are you listening to? Open your ear to the wisdom of God.
A pure heart
The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips (Prov. 16:23). Our words reveal the state of our hearts. Angry words are the fruit of an angry heart. Gracious words are the fruit of a grace-filled heart. No human can tame the tongue (Jas. 3:8). Only God can do that, and God changes the tongue by changing the heart. That is why David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).
A cleansed mouth
When Isaiah saw a vision of God, he was overwhelmed by His holiness. He felt his own sin as never before, especially his sins of speech. “I am a man of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5).
An angel picked up a burning coal from the altar of God and pressed it onto Isaiah’s mouth. Jesus died on the altar of the cross for all of our sins, including the sins of our lips. And God’s provision for sin touched Isaiah where he needed it most. “This has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (6:7).
Ask God to open your ears to His Word, ask Him to purify your heart, and ask Him to touch your lips with the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood.
