Psalms 34 (Part IV)

¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

Come to me and learn, I have a lesson to teach you if you are seeking God.  Check your attitude today.  Check your speech.  Check your actions.  Embrace peace. ... Notice that the first one is how you are and the other two is how you interact with others.  Start with getting your attitude right then be careful how you talk to others, follow that with good actions, then look for peace. 

We have all encountered at one time or another, that guy.  He's always upbeat.  He seems to wake up today even more excited than he was yesterday, which you thought couldn't possibly be done.  You doubt everything he says because you know that no one is really that way.  At some point reality will crash upon them and they'll be down where the rest of us are.  ...  Why are we like this?  I think we should truly examine ourselves and wonder why we aren't more upbeat and excited about the gift of a new day.  The first point in this lesson is about attitude.  Do you desire your life?  Do you love each day and look for the beauty in it?  Check your attitude.  Is there a problem God can't overcome in your life today?  Really?  We should wake up in full faith, knowing our God is encamped around us, our enemies turn upon hearing His name, He will deliver us, He is for us and will not forsake us.  WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE, HOW CAN WE NOT WAKE UP SEEING A GREAT DAY TO LIVE AND BE WATCHFUL FOR THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S HANDIWORK?

What are we saying to those around us?  Is it pleasant, kind, uplifting, courteous, and loving?  There are many verses on the dangers of our speech in James.  Romans 14:19 says, "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."  1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another".  As nice as it is to be around pleasant and nice conversation, let me interject some testosterone into it.  Frankly, I think I'd just pass out from nausea from too much of that playing nice.  When its sincere and done from a heart overflowing with love, we recognize it and we accept it and it makes us better.  Otherwise, it's just repulsive.  But my real interjection is I'd rather be in constant righteous conversation where there is a continual weigh on the words in how each of us is lifting, pushing, considering how to help each other grow, move, think closer to God and how our actions might be modified, altered, encouraged in how they represent the character of God.  Sometimes this is not pleasant, but it is uplifting and loving.  Certainly it's more fulfilling.  So, check your speech.

With a right attitude and good speech, we can turn from sin and do good.  If what's inside is good, and what is coming out is good, then our bodies can do good.  Jesus told the Pharisees this very thing in Matthew 23:25-26, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  And Jesus also said in Mark 7:14-15, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."  Note that He was speaking regarding food only as a thing that enters and doesn't defile.  He explained further in verses 21-23, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."    These evil things all come out in speech or action.  How do we not do these things?  We get our attitude right first.  Then our speech.  then we can check our actions.

But isn't this the exact opposite of how we teach those who want to come to God?  And isn't this why so many see religion as a "Don't do" list and not as a relationship with God.  We look at their life and it's easy to say don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't cuss, don't yell, be calm, don't hate, etc.  But what we should be saying is do you pray, do you read, let's pray together, let's read together, what does God say about that, etc.  The inside of a person should be our first and only concern because the outside will never be right until the inside is right.

So many people today look at their marriages and wonder if they married the right person.  The right question is, "Am I the right person?"  When God has our insides and makes us a whole person again, as He intended when He created us, then our speech is right and our actions are right.  That is when peace comes.  This is what we should be seeking.  And when it comes, it is important to embrace it and live in it.  Jesus said, "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  

Live in full faith.  Let God have all of you; let Him rule.  His peace will come.