Read
(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer
1I pray to you, Lord!
Please listen when I pray
and hurry to help me.
2 Think of my prayer
as sweet-smelling incense,
and think of my lifted hands
as an evening sacrifice.
3Help me to guard my words
whenever I say something.
4Don't let me want to do evil
or waste my time doing wrong
with wicked people.
Don't let me even taste
the good things they offer.
5Let your faithful people
correct and punish me.
My prayers condemn the deeds
of those who do wrong,
so don't let me be friends
with any of them.
6Everyone will admit
that I was right
when their rulers are thrown
down a rocky cliff,
7and their bones lie scattered
like crushed rocks
on top of a grave.
8You are my Lord and God,
and I look to you for safety.
Don't let me be harmed.
9Protect me from the traps
of those violent people,
10and make them fall
into their own traps
while you help me escape.
Reflect
In a study on marriage, Paul Tripp compares a water bottle to our hearts. He holds up a water bottle with the lid off, and then furiously shakes it. Of course water begins to fly everywhere. Paul then begins to explain that the water spilling out wasn’t merely a result of shaking it; the water came out because it was what was already in the bottle.
Likewise, we oftentimes blame our outbursts or certain comments on our circumstances and stresses. However, what comes out isn’t merely a result of those circumstances; it’s because of what we already have in our hearts.
I love that David seems to ask the Lord to guard his mouth and then immediately seeks help for his heart to not be inclined to evil. It’s almost as if he knows the reason he says things that are evil is because his heart is inclined to say them. Oftentimes our enemies lie in wait for us to say something unwholesome. But if we are guarding our hearts, our mouths will be protected.
Have you ever met a married couple where one spouse seems to use the same mannerisms and speech as their partner? It is said that people who spend lots of time together can develop common speech patterns. We should strive to engage in God’s Word as often as possible and be in prayer as often as possible so that the heart of God might be made manifest in us. Then, when we speak, we speak the words of Christ.
Respond
Father, guard our hearts and protect us from evil. Help us to be more like your Son Jesus that we might speak often of the things of Scripture.
J. R. Bucklew
J.R. Bucklew is a visionary with ideas that are quickly becoming the standard in other parts of the world. Born a hearing child of deaf parents (CODA), his first language growing up was American Sign Language (ASL), and he still considers ASL his heart language. He has a strong desire for the Deaf community to know and understand the Word of God. This has allowed him to travel to many parts of the world, both ministering to and being an advocate for the Deaf. Prior to coming to Albuquerque, NM, JR and his wife ministered to the Deaf in Ethiopia. They started a Deaf church and opened a café that exclusively employed Deaf people. They also formed two sign language centers and helped train others to work with the Deaf. JR’s journey with Deaf Bible began in 2012 and is now President and visionary-lead of the Deaf Bible Society. JR also serves on the boards of several other Deaf ministries in the United States.