Loose Lips

Psalm 34; Matthew 5

Psalm 34 is a victorious psalm. It speaks of the reliability of God when we call on him and of the futility of wickedness and evil. It reminds of how well God treats the righteous and cares for the brokenhearted. Matthew 5 is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus begins with the beatitudes and then offers clarification and re-alignment on many aspects of the law.

It was so interesting to me as I read through these two passages today to be reminded that returning to familiar passages brings a new freshness to scripture. Seasons of life bring new perspectives into our reading and offer new light into our understanding. As I read through Psalm 34 I was particularly struck with the first verse which reads, "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." I thought to myself, "What a declaration!". It is filled with strong and committed phrases like "at all times" and "always". These are powerful statements. Also,as I read through Matthew 5 I was struck afresh with with verses 15 and 16 which reminded me that people do not light lamps to hide them and encouraged me to let my light shine. I know that sounds a little cliche but I was struck by Jesus' words as I read them today.

I titled this post "Loose Lips". This is a title that is not so much because of poor quality conversation such as slander and gossip that is coming from me but rather because of what is not coming from me. As I read these two passages today I was particularly struck with the first verse of Psalm 34 which I quoted above. I began to think about whether or not I am extolling the Lord at all times and whether or not his praise is always on my lips. Not that I am speaking poorly of the Lord but rather I am not speaking of him at all. I think that it is incredibly easy to allow my faith to become such a personal thing that no one else ever comes into contact with it. Sure it is easy for me to speak to others about Jesus and about faith when I am preaching, praying, or leading Bible study. However, I am forced to wonder how frequently if at all in my day to day life do people encounter Jesus through me. My loose lips are filled with idle chatter about hockey, baseball, or groceries but perhaps I need to tame these lips of mine and train them to extol the Lord at all times and to allow his praise to rest on them always. This ties in so well with the section of Matthew 5 which speaks of letting my light shine. If I can bring these loose lips under control then I will be able to let my light shine all the time. My faith while personal is not meant to be exclusively personal. I have a responsibility and a desire to praise Jesus all the time and to bring these loose lips of mine back in line.

Dear God,

Thank you for constant reminders. Thank you that your word is always fresh and that it speaks into real life. Lord, I am so privileged to be in relationship with you. It is my desire to tame my loose lips and to fill them with praise for you and by extolling your name. I ask Lord that you will cause me and my loose lips to praise you at all times and always. Give me the courage to not be afraid to let my light shine radiantly so that all who I encounter will not encounter only me but they will encounter you as well. Thank you for the incredible opportunity to be your light. I ask that you will lead me on.

Amen