Pleasing in Your Sight

My daughter Amanda came home from school recently with a new Bible memory verse, Psalm 19:14---May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. One of the amazing things about Scripture is how you can read or hear a verse many times, but if you really listen and allow it to speak to your heart, the Holy Spirit provides new insight or sometimes just a hightened awareness of what God is saying. Amanda's new memory verse had just that type of impact on me.

The two things that define us more than anything are our words and our actions. The Bible reminds us how small, yet how very powerful the tongue is and it's potential for harm (James 3:5-12). Yet it also reminds us that our words can bring peace and build up others (Proverbs 15:1-2, 4, 7). God's Word also reminds us how desperately wicked our hearts can be (Jeremiah 17:9) while calling us love to God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

Amanda's memory verse, which she now proudly recites, should be a daily prayer for every one of us who follows Christ. God is not only our Rock, our source of strength, but He is also our Redeemer who freed us from the bondage of sin. The things we say and the things we think should bring honor and glory to the One who created us in His image. When our words and our hearts follow after our Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us by his shed blood, we are indeed pleasing in His sight.