March 29, 2024

Psalm 19.14 (NIV)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight. 

Men can choose what to set their hearts on.*

If I had written this psalm, I would have worded it in reverse order. I would have asked first for my heart to be pleasing because a pure heart doesn’t produce impure words. Perhaps it was for the sake of poetry that David listed his request in this order.

There is no question, however, that David wanted to please God. It was not enough for him to have the approval of men. He could say and do the righteous things but he needed God to be pleased with the meditations – the deepest thoughts – of his heart. As David knew, “If our heart and spirit are not right, our motivations will not be right.”*

We are capable of putting on a mask of piety and masquerading as a Christian. Some do it to fool others. Sometimes we do it to fool ourselves. But we never fool God. The meditation of my heart may be reflected in my words and actions – or not. No one knows for sure what is in my heart except God.

No gift from God can be used to its full potential if the recipient has a heart that is not in tune with him.*