The Words of My Mouth

Psalm 19:10 describes God's Word as sweet, sweeter than the honeycomb. Jeremiah certainly agreed, "Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). I concur. God's Word is sweet. My hungering heart comes again and again, greedy for more. His Words delight my soul.

Except when they don't.

I've memorized James 3. I had contemplated it at the kitchen sink or as I folded the clothes. I thought I had licked the honey pot clean. Then last night at Bible study we discussed James 3. Suddenly I felt like John who obeyed the angel's command, "I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter"(Revelation 10:10). John prophesied the judgment of the righteous Christ over the peoples, and kings, and nations of this world. God's Spirit spoke in my heart the judgment of a righteous Christ against my heart rebelling against Him. I have been rebelling, using my tongue to hurt or criticize. Sitting under that righteous condemnation is bitter indeed.

Yet, somehow, this is a bitterness, a sorrow, that I welcome. This is a sorrow leading to repentance. I come back again to the Word of God. I'm willing to taste the bitter or the sweet. This morning I put out my hand once more and took the words which carried me through this day,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14