Chewing On This....

I have been chewing on the verse below; trying to let it soak in. What a powerful description of a person who knows and trust the Lord in all circumstances. In good times and bad He is confident in who he is in the Lord and is therefore able to rest in Him.

Psalm 30-34

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
but the Lord will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Wait for the Lord and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off you will see it.


I long to be a righteous woman whose mouth utters wisdom and whose tongue speaks what is just. Not just when relationships are good and you're at peace with others, but when it really counts. When things get messy, when you're pushed to your limit and all the right buttons are being pushed. This is when it really counts. These are the very circumstances where we have the greatest opportunities to reflect the love and heart of Christ.

As I have been meditating on this verse and I how I can apply it more in my own life, I came across a sermon by Andy Stanely that further highlighted the passage above. God has a funny way of bringing things to our attention and keeping them at the forefront of our minds!

Andy was speaking about a passage in Luke that calls us to love and serve our enemies. Luke 6:32 says, If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. Verse 35 says But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Wow! What a powerful reminder of what our attitude and response should be like when we feel persecuted, when we've been wrongly accused or judged. Not only does scripture call us to love our enemies but we are called to do good to them...to serve them! Talk about upside down living!

I love the last verse that reminds me that when I respond contrary to the way the world would respond, others have an opportunity to see Christ because I am responding the way Jesus himself would respond. As we represent Christ, we are "sons of the Most High" because we are emulating the very heart of our Father. And when Christ is seen God is glorified! In fact, scripture tells us that His kindness leads us to repentence. What if God used these very painful and difficult circumstances in our lives not only to draw us closer to Him, but to draw others to closer to Him?!!

It's an understatement to say that Jesus isn't asking me to do anything more than He himself did on the cross. Jesus being whipped, beaten, mocked, and crucified on the cross would have been justified in his anger, yet He did not repay unkindness with unkindness. Instead, he pleaded, 'Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

The reality is, is that before I knew Christ, I too was considered a mocker, an enemy of God who was ungrateful and wicked. Thank Jesus for His mercy and kindness toward me even though I didn't deserve it!

Father, whatever my circumstances, whether relationships are beautiful or messy, help me to use these circumstances as an opportunity to refect the love and heart of Christ. May I be a righteous woman whose mouth utters words of wisdom and whose tongue speaks what is just. Help me to extend the same kindness to others that you extended to me on the cross even when I feel justified in my anger. May the love of Christ be great in me so that you are most glorified!