How can I let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to God (Psalm 19:14)?

When God answers the prayer of verses 12 and 13, then David may say, "Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression." Does not every believer desire this to be true of him? This is the negative side, while verse 14 gives what is beautifully positive, — "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer." David knew that these two are closely related, for the words will not be right if the meditation of the heart is not. "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). Yet even when the heart may be generally employed in appreciation of the Lord, we are so treacherous that we may allow unwise words to slip from our mouths. Well might we take to heart the earnest prayer, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my mouth" (Ps. 141:3).

Thus, David speaks first of the words of his mouth, and secondly of the meditation of his heart, though we may think that the latter should come first. However, if we make a habit of watching our words, this will encourage a sweeter meditation of our hearts. For this too we need the strength of the Lord, our Redeemer from all that is contrary to good words and meditation.

The last verse is exquisitely beautiful: no mere outward rectitude can satisfy a truly spiritual soul. Its desire and prayer is always that the inner man should be kept right. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my strength, and my Redeemer." G. O.

Finally, the true desire of the heart is shewn, that the words of the mouth, and the meditations of the heart, may be acceptable in God's sight. This is the true test of a godly life, when good is sought inwardly, when only in God's sight: the research of good with God, not before man or in the knowledge of man. I speak not of hypocrisy, but of walking with God. But in all true righteousness God is owned as our Rock and Redeemer; for we cannot be "with" Him, with the real apprehensions of a new life, without feeling our need of Him in both characters.

We can find our safeguard only in the sanctuary. The Lord Himself is our constant necessity; and the self-distrust is wholesome that keeps us close to Him. So the cry here now: "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins: let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright; I shall be innocent of great revolt." And the psalm ends with the longing desire for positive sanctification, — the acceptance of heart and mouth before God — this God, known in the power of His salvation ever (John 4:22), — "Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Evil speaking flows from evil thinking in our hearts. The Lord Jesus said, ‘the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts … false witnessings, blasphemies’ (Matt. 15:18–19). Scripture uses the same Greek word for ‘blasphemies’ against God as for ‘evil speaking’ about our brethren. Why? Because they are ‘the apple of his eye’ (Deut. 32:9–10). Of course, He knows what we are thinking: ‘Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me … thou understandest my thought afar off … for there is not yet a word on my tongue, but lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether’ (Ps. 139:1–4). If He does not take delight in evil thoughts, we should judge them before they reach our lips.

"Every idle word that men shall speak." An idle word is what has God in contempt. It is a lesson to show the solemnity of the right use of the tongue. It is an unruly member, but God can keep it in check. There is a proverb that says, "He that loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend." The heart and lips go together. While we are speaking of that, I should like to say that as far as words are concerned, if we say anything wrong we should judge it. But before the word is the intention, and it is better to judge intentions than words; before the intention is the thought, and it is better still to judge the thought in the light of the word of God which is living and powerful, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In the next place, the mouth and the lips are to be guarded. This naturally follows upon the exhortation just considered, because our words are the index of the heart. The Lord Jesus taught this when He said, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." (Matt. 12:34-35.) Again and again did He warn those around Him of the danger arising from uncontrolled speech, and in every part of Scripture the warning is repeated. James especially deals with the subject in most solemn language (chap. 3), and he even says that "if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body"; and in the Psalms prayer after prayer is found for the guard and preservation of the lips from speaking evil. The means for the attainment of this desired end is that Christ and His things should fill our hearts, and then our conversation will flow out from that with which we are occupied.

This leads to another and natural consequence, but one of great importance, because it not only informs us of the will of God, but keeps us in His presence, and familiar with the ideas, thoughts, ways, hopes, the whole manner of our God. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein, for thus shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success." Compare Psalm 1. This meditation on God's word, of course, makes us know His will. But it does a great deal more. It gives the habitual delight of the heart to be in what God reveals, in what He delights in. We acquire His (that is, the true but divine) way of thinking of things; not the side of the vain show of this world. Our own hearts are formed by and in this divine and blessed apprehension of things. Oh what a light it is, and how does the vanity of this world appear what it is! "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." Besides, the soul is kept subject to God in meditating on His word: an immense point morally. Nor is this all. It secures the communications of His grace. "I have called you friends, for whatsoever I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." Owning the word of God is owning God in this world as He has spoken. But I must pass on.

"And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart" — at the very source of all the issues of life. This is peculiarly precious. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the lips, and in the life. How important then, to have the heart full of the word of God, so full that we shall have no room for the vanities and follies of this present evil world. Thus shall our conversation be always with grace, seasoned with salt. "Out of the abundance of the heart the month speaks." Hence we can judge of what is in the heart by what comes out of the mouth. The tongue is the organ of the heart — the organ of the man. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." When the heart is really governed by the word of God, the whole character reveals the blessed result. It must be so, inasmuch as the heart is the main-spring of our entire moral condition; it lies at the centre of all those moral influences which govern our personal history and shape our practical career.

The lips are associated with the organs of speech. He says her speech is comely. So it should always be with a child of God; his speech should always be pleasing to the Lord. No matter what man may think about it, our business and concern should be to please God in every word we say, for He hears it and takes note of it. "For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, (note this, nor jesting) which are not convenient (or becoming)." "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt." "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Ps. 139:4; Matt. 12:36; Eph. 5:3-4; 4:29; Col. 4:6; Ps. 19:14; Matt. 12:34). These are a few among many passages that tell what the Christian's speech should be. When we consider ourselves and Christians in general, we ought to mourn as we see how far our speech is from what the Lord expects of us.