“My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.” Psalm 119:171-173
“Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
What is in our hearts today? Is praise pouring forth from your heart to your mouth? If not, why?
For years and years and years, I was good at doing. Doing, specifically, for God. Oh yes, I loved Him – I really did – and I was grateful for His grace. I grew up singing that Jesus loved me this I know, I knew that the Bible told me so. But it hadn’t permeated my heart. I didn’t really get it. And so, the doing took place of praise flowing out of my heart and onto my lips.
There was no praise because there was not deep understanding, or admittance, of God’s statutes.Â
“The gospel says you are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but more accepted and loved than you dared hope.” -Tim Keller
It wasn’t until I understood really deep down at a heart level just how sinful and flawed I really was that I understood what David is saying in our verses today. When you truly look at God’s statutes, the commandments, and measure yourself, you can’t help but realize how bad it is {For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23}. How bad you are.
And then…
FORGIVEN. ACCEPTED. LOVED.Â
This is what brings us to our knees in worship of the Almighty God. For WHO He is, and what He has done for us. This is when the overflow of our hearts speak praise.Â
And this is what God desires from us. He wants our love. Our praise.
I invite you to sit with Him today in the stillness. Search your heart and ask Him to bring you understanding of your sin and then of His acceptance. And allow that praise and gratefulness to bubble up out of your heart and onto your lips.
Let’s Talk: Have you been there? Where you were good at working for Him, but not praising Him? Are you there now? I want to hear from you in the comments!