March 3
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
This verse is the “grand finale” of Psalm 19, and it is often used as a standard prayer for preachers and worshippers. In verse 14 David makes a shift from a cosmic view of the universe (the heavens declare the glory of God) in the first verse to the most intimate places of the human soul in verse 14. David identifies two distinct areas of his life that he wants to be pleasing in God’s sight: the words of his mouth and this meditation of his heart. One of these areas - his mouth - are what others will hear. The words he says, how he talks to others, what he communicates as king, and his prayers are all expressions of his mouth. Others will notice the depth and sincerity of his kindness, honesty, and worship by what he speaks.
The second area David identifies as wanting to be pleasing to the Lord is the meditation of his heart. David is referring to the part and place that no human sees. It is the internal part of who he is - his character. All of his thoughts, motives, fantasies, and desires are found in his heart (the place not known to others). But, David is well-aware that God sees his heart and knows what is hidden there out of sight from others. David is seeking integrity. He doesn’t just want his “public” words to be right; he wants his “private” thoughts to match the words of his mouth. David wants both of these things - his words and his meditations - to be pleasing to God. The Hebrew used here is the same word to describe a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
David acknowledges that his mouth and heart are prone to evil. He needs a Redeemer. He needs a God who will rescue him again and again from his hidden faults (vs 12). So it is for us. Our words and meditations are not always good. We struggle to align our heart with our mouth. We lash out at others. We harbor ill-feelings toward others. We indulge in gossip. We are unable to forgive. We don’t love as we should. Like David, our desire is for our words and meditations to be pleasing to God. We are unable to do this on our own. Left to our own devices, we fall miserably short. The answer to how we do this is found in verses 7-12. We accept God’s laws and precepts as the way we should live, and we ask for forgiveness (a repentant heart) that comes with a pleading for God to keep us from willfully sinning (vs 13).
Father - You are my Rock and Redeemer. I ask You to keep me from willful sins. May I surrender to You allowing You to be Lord of my life. I want to be blameless before You. May the words I speak to others and the quiet meditations of my heart be pleasing to You. May they be a beautiful and pleasing sacrifice in Your sight. In Your name we pray. Amen