I’ve heard this poem before and recently read it in the Epilogue to ‘The Hiding Place’ by Corrie ten Boom. The poem is called, “My Life Is Like a Weaving” by Grant Colfax Tullar. I hope it blesses you too.
My life is like a weaving
between my God and me.
I do not choose the colors
He works steadily.
Sometimes He weaves sorrow
and I in foolish pride
forget He sees the upper,
and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent
and the shuttles cease to fly
will God unroll the canvas
and explain the reason why
the dark threads are as needful
in the skillful weaver’s hand
as the threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned.
Our understanding is finite, His is infinite. We were never in control, God is Sovereign over all. He is perfect in love, we love imperfectly. Given the comparison in character traits, we are better off trusting the Lord with His plans for us rather responding in fear, anger or bitterness.
When WWII began in Corrie ten Boom’s city of Haarlem, the dogfighting in the sky kept her and her sister Betsie awake. They decided to go downstairs in the middle of the night for a cup of tea to calm their nerves until it was over. Finally, Corrie made her way back upstairs to her bedroom where she felt in the dark something sharp on her pillow. It was a 10 inch piece of shrapnel from the night bombings. She ran back to her sister and showed her in terror, what had been laying on her pillow. “What if I had still been in bed?!” Corrie exclaims. Betsie assured her there are no “what ifs” in God’s plan. Whatever He purposes for us, good or bad, we are safest when we are in the center of His will.
As the war progressed the ten Booms would later be arrested for hiding Jews in their home. The horrors of their experience in concentration camps are told in Corrie’s book ‘The Hiding Place’. From these events, she learns to forgive the humanly speaking, unforgivable acts of the Nazis. She even learns to love her enemies, setting up several homes after the war, as a rehabilitation center for those not ready to face the world yet. Corrie went on to travel the world telling others the love of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
She likely would not have chosen the tapestry of sorrow and loss weaved into her life, but God sees the overall picture. He took what was meant for evil and used it for good. Everything the Lord does, throughout all of history, has always been for His glory. Elisabeth Elliot once noted, “It is not what the Lord is doing TO you, but rather, what the Lord is doing FOR you.” Whatever He purposes for us in this life serves as an opportunity to refine our character into Christlikeness, and untether us from this temporary world. Author Sam Wellman who wrote the Epilogue to ‘The Hiding Place’ says, “Love triumphs over all afflictions. Our earthly sufferings only serve to make that which awaits us an even greater glory.”
Even though January is almost over and those who wanted to share their reading journeys from last year have already done so, well, I’m usually late to the party anyway. My mom, sister and I swapped some of our favorites in an email but I thought why not share with you some of mine? It is arranged by genre, not in order of what I liked best because I don’t think I could have done that. The description of each book is intentionally kept brief so this post doesn’t become a research paper. I hope this list serves you by inspiring you to read something you never have before, or to dust off an old favorite to enjoy all over again. The best ones are meant to be read more than once you know. Happy reading.
Children’s Fiction:
First of all, I’d like to say that it is no secret how much I love children’s books. C.S. Lewis once said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” These are the ones full of imagination and charm. Also, you generally do not have to worry about obscene or offensive content creeping in halfway through the story. There are even a few good lessons to pick up along the way. Here are a few I would recommend to any age.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
I was surprised how religious this story is. I had only seen the movie before and of course they leave that out. The young girl Heidi is an orphan sent to live with her reclusive grandfather who lives high up in the Alps. It’s beautifully written, seeing nature and people through Heidi’s eyes.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
This is a favorite I like to re-read. Anne is spunky but good natured. She makes me laugh out loud in some of her escapades. Anne is an orphan sent to live with an old bachelor and an old maid by mistake, since they wanted to adopt a boy and not a girl. Somehow through all her misfortunes, Anne manages to charm everyone she meets in spite of, or rather because, she is refreshingly just herself. The movie starring Megan Follows as Anne is also a treat.
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A sweet story. Sara is sent to a boarding school by her loving and rich father. When news reaches the school that her father has died, all her privileges are stripped away and Sara must live in the attic, working as a maid. I like Sara’s character toward others even when they are cruel to her. She remembers to act like a princess by being kind, generous, enduring harsh treatment with courage.
Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor
The author takes the story of Pilgrim’s Progress and makes the main characters children instead. She also adjusts a few of the scenes to make it appropriate for a younger audience.
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Set in London during WWII, three orphaned children who happen to be rich are sent to live in the country with strangers until the bombing raid is over. They are on a mission to find a forever family but mustn’t tell their secret until the children agree on their choice and hope someone is willing to adopt all three of them. Really cute and heartwarming.
Fiction:
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
Part of a collection of stories surrounding a fictional town in Kentucky called Port William. This is Hannah’s story starting from the 1930’s, remembering her life with two husbands and seeing the farming community give way to modern technology. It’s a well written description of rural life and its community.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
This is spritiual fiction, an allegory of a Christian’s walk of faith. It’s one of my favorites. Charles Spurgeon is said to have read this 100 times before he died. I can see why.
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
I am drawn to anything related to The Chronicles of Narnia. This story is set in 1950, the main character is an Oxford university student who lives near C.S. Lewis. Her younger brother is bedridden with an illness and is captivated with the newly released children’s book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He wants his sister to ask Lewis how he came up with the ideas for Narnia. It is a sweet story with a twist, imagining what inspired Lewis to write the beloved series.
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
The story consists of diary entries beginning when the main character is 16, and seeing her mature over the years through her experiences. A coming of age story within the formation of salvation and Christian character.
Biographies:
Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England by Faith Cook
This was my favorite biography last year and quite possibly my favorite person I don’t know in real life. Lady Jane became a mature and outspoken Christian by the time she took the throne at age fifteen, through a series of twists only the Tudors can create. She was executed by her second cousin, Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary). Really well written that didn’t feel like a boring research paper. Have I mentioned how much I don’t like research papers?
Yours, till Heaven: The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr.
Using journal entries and facts we already know about Charles Spurgeon, this is a sweet look into his marriage. Despite many challenges with both of their health and in Spurgeon’s ministry, they remained a unit, looking to God to guide them and be their strength.
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr.
I didn’t know a lot about her before reading this book. I knew she was sick toward the end of her life, but this gives a deeper look into how she ministered to others behind the scenes. She deserves to be known in the pages of history as well.
Non-fiction:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Reading this all the way through I think for the first time was rewarding. Lewis first gave these as talks on the radio and later it was put into book form. He talks about the nature of God, the nature of man, using logic and reason to validate Christianity.
The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot
She is a woman I greatly admire. I hope to read something of hers each year because she had a lot of wisdom and presented it in a way that was helpful, not preachy. After being widowed twice and serving as a missionary in the jungle to the people who murdered her first husband, Elisabeth could still say to the Lord, “Thy will be done.”
I hope this was helpful. I’ve enjoyed recollecting some of my favorite reads from 2023. Thanks for humoring me if you’ve gotten this far 🙂
I love Christmas hymns. They speak of what God has done for us through Jesus’ birth and perfect atonement. It was all part of God’s plan from the beginning. This means that chaotic world events, personal sorrows, and sin has not caught God off guard. He is still at work. A friend shared with me her favorite Christmas hymn a few years ago and it was one I wasn’t familiar with. ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’ is now one of my favorites too. Part of it goes, “And in despair I bowed my head, ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.’ Then rang the bells more loud and deep, ‘God is not dead, nor does He sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.'”
These words are true because every Christian worships a Living Hope. This is our greatest joy because Jesus Christ is our greatest Gift. There is forgiveness, access to the Father and comfort for every believer. This is a beautiful hymn, full of longing but certain hope. Jesus came in grace. He is coming again. Now we see through a glass darkly, as if we are only half-awake, but one day God’s children will enjoy His Presence and Peace forever when we see Christ face to face. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Sin and death will be no more. Praise God!
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” -Romans 11:17-18
A Christian’s testimony is a powerful tool showcasing God as personal, merciful and loving. I am sharing my story of salvation for a few reasons. First, it is an encouragement to me, remembering how God supernaturally brought me from spiritual death to life with Him. It is good to be reminded that Jesus paid for my sins on the cross once and for all. There are no take backs. Some call this rehearsing the gospel to ourselves. Secondly, I think sharing my transformation gives courage to other Christians to tell what God has done for them too. We need to have these conversations with one another about what God has done for us. Our shared experience of coming to faith in Christ serves to encourage and strengthen the Church body. Thirdly, it is God’s command to proclaim His wonders and tell of His faithfulness. Sharing your testimony is part of what that means. We have an opportunity to exalt His Name and make much of HIM by declaring what He has done for us personally. Remember the woman at the well who had five husbands? After her conversation with Jesus she went back to the village exclaiming what He had just done for her. He knew her past, and still offered Himself as a means of forgiveness and everlasting life. She immediately shared her good news with the people who once shunned her. She is an example of making much of Jesus from her own encounter with Him (John 4:4-42).
This is the story of how God saved me. It isn’t flashy but it is dramatic, because all conversions are. No one but God can make something dead come alive. No one but God takes filthy rags and exchanges them for robes of righteousness. It doesn’t make sense. But God is not like you and me. He is unconditional in His covenantal love toward those He has called by name. This is my story…
There has never been a time in my life I didn’t know about Jesus. I consider this a great blessing. Growing up in a Christian home, I had parents who took me and my sister to church on Sunday mornings, to Sunday evening worship and AWANAS on Wednesdays. For those not familiar with AWANAS, it is a children’s program designed to equip young hearts and minds with Bible teaching and Scripture memorization.
As the firstborn, I have always been a rule follower, hating to mess up or get in trouble. However, this did not stop me from sinning in grand fashion at times. I deserved more spankings than I actually got as a child. Since my long-term memory is shot, I have trouble remembering the exact date of my salvation. I called my mom recently to confer with her on this, and she remembers a different setting when she believes I gave my heart to Jesus. I have concluded then that there must have been three times before age eight in which I said something like ‘The Sinner’s Prayer’, because I was not sure if the first two times stuck. This is the reasoning of a seven year old. I thought I would feel different, suddenly become good all the time? I am not sure what I expected from making a decision to follow Jesus, all I do remember is wanting to know Him and have Him as my Friend with me always. My seven year old self was ignorant on the fullness of God’s grace, His vast mercy and my complete depravity. I believe these truths are harder to grasp as a child, although I knew I had sin and needed Jesus to forgive me. With the Spirit’s teaching over the years I have been able to understand deeper truths which I am grateful for.
A month after the third time I publicly declared I wanted to follow Jesus, I was baptized. It is worth noting each time I wanted to ask Jesus in my heart, I confided in a female adult Sunday school teacher or Vacation Bible School worker. Those jobs may seem thankless at times, but it is Kingdom work. You never know when a child might sincerely be called to follow Christ and you get the privilege of ministering to them.
Since I have always known church ways and made a profession of faith at a young age, it is hard to distinguish a ‘before and after’ in my outward behavior. This has caused doubt in my conversion as an adult. Since we all still sin, Christians lament like Paul crying, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:15-18). Paul goes on to say that Jesus will one day deliver him completely from his body of death (his sinful nature), but as we live here, each believer is being sanctified, waging war against the sin in ourselves.
As a teenager I fell headlong into a rebellious period. By God’s great mercy this did not last long. I could have ruined my life with bad decisions. Looking back now, I see how God’s hand of protection was over me. It is from this period of growing pains I began to understand the deeper reality of my depravity and experience the lovingkindness from my Heavenly Father.
When I was 21, I attended a college age conference called Passion. Again, I was at a crossroads in my faith. I believe the young adult years to be critical for someone who has grown up in the church. There comes a time when you have to decide if you will still get up out of bed on a Sunday morning to go worship. You might even decide to find another church. This is when my faith became my own responsibility and not my parents’ job.
The Passion conference serves as a spiritual marker for me. I was on the tail end of a prolonged battle with depression, and my heart was dry, cracked and weary. Louie Giglio spoke on how indescribable God is, using images from NASA’s Hubble space telescope. I remember he talked about how all of creation declares God’s glory, emphasizing the theme for the weekend, which was ‘Glorious’. After his message, I went outside and stared up into the night sky. I saw quite a few stars for being in the middle of the city. God’s promise to Abraham to make his descendants as many as the stars in the sky flooded my mind. I recalled God’s faithfulness to Israel, and to me personally. My view of God expanded that evening, feeling very small, but knowing I serve a great God. We are not on the same level. I am a grasshopper compared to God who spreads out the heavens like a tent to live in, as the prophet Isaiah says.
I believe having a high view of God and a posture of personal humility is critical for spiritual growth. It was here that the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength by opening my spiritual eyes even more to His love, wonder and forgiveness. I needed to be delivered from self that night. I was consumed with a morbid introspection of all the ways I didn’t measure up. Of course this leads to despair because there has never been anyone who is enough. Only Christ fills this role.
I would like to say after the Passion conference my life was tied up in a pretty bow and everything was rosy. Over the years I have been more challenged in my faith with life circumstances, people and my own sin. The older I get the more I see the horrors of my sin, not less! This is where perseverance comes in. Peter’s response to Jesus in John 6 is an anchor for me to come back to again and again. When Jesus presented His followers with a hard teaching they were not willing to accept, the Bible says many no longer followed Him. It just got too hard, too uncomfortable, too demanding. Jesus was thinning the crowd from genuine believers and false converts. He then turns to the apostles and asks if they too will leave Him? Peter replies, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Jesus drew a line in the sand, so to speak, and Peter’s bold declaration was his reckless abandon to follow Jesus at all costs.
I appreciate the examples in Scripture of Christians who failed even after experiencing sweet fellowship with the Lord. Peter, David, Noah, Abraham, Adam and Eve all walked with God, fell into sin, but looked back to the Lord in repentance. This is the Christian faith in all its power, mercy and grace. Our faith is messy at times because we are sinners, working out our salvation with fear and trembling, as God also works in us. Reading the sin/restoration cycle of Israel’s history is a good indication of our sin nature too. But God, rich in mercy, sent His Only Son to restore broken fellowship with us. Jesus willingly and obediently died on the cross to permanently atone for my sins and all who trust in His finished work.
I read a quote the other day by C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity. He was speaking on faith and how it happens in each Christian. Lewis writes,“the thing I am talking of now may not happen to every one in a sudden flash- as it did to St. Paul or Bunyan: it may be so gradual that no one could ever point to a particular hour or even a particular year. And what matters is the nature of the change in itself, not how we feel while it is happening. It is the change from being confident about our own efforts to the state in which we despair of doing anything for ourselves and leave it to God.” He means here that we learn to stop striving in our own strength of moral efforts, confess our sin and need for salvation, resting in Christ’s work done for us. Redemption has been won. God does not love His child any more or any less depending on how far along you are in your faith. It is all of His grace to begin with.
The point of my faith profession occurred when I was a child, but by God’s grace, has matured into something more real and solid than when I first began this pilgrim journey. The Lord continues to refine it and will make my faith even more precious until He is satisfied with the end result and takes me Home. God is my solid Hope. This is my story. God wrote it so I can now live free. It can be your ending too if you have a saving relationship with God who made you. The narrow road is the only way that leads to true joy and everlasting life, regardless of what the world tells you.
If you grew up in church like I did it can be difficult sometimes to pinpoint when you started genuinely following Christ. Examine your heart by asking God to give you clarity and peace, even if you do not remember a specific date. There is nothing more tragic than being deceived into a false profession. If you still doubt, will you follow Him today? 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Believe Jesus is the eternal Son of God and trust in the sacrifice He made on the cross as the payment for your sins. Let today be the beginning of your eternity with a personal, merciful, and loving Heavenly Father.
Grace upon grace,
April
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.” 1 Corinthians 15:10
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands.” -Psalm 119:176
The psalmist is honest before the Lord. It is deeply personal. There is no hiding from Him who sees and knows all things. When we rightly understand the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father, there is no need to run and hide like our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden. Even when we sin, we have a great Mediator to go before us. Our Great Shepherd will always leave the ninety-nine sheep in the safe pasture to go look for the one that wandered away.
David (likely the psalmist), prays to be sought by Jehovah Yahweh, the Keeper of his soul. He knows God’s commands are not only life giving but life saving, which is why he is determined to remember them and live accordingly with God’s help. Our lives in God’s hands are very much like a sonnet. There are boundaries constructed around the perimeter. We must be diligent to acknowledge the set structure He has given us and submit to His authority. Yet the colorful freedom within the sonnet is our liberty. To live, create, work, play and enjoy His many blessings is our joy and His delight! This is the beauty of man’s will working inside God’s will. To stray outside the cadence would be to our peril. The Lord knows this, loving His sheep too much to let us wander off the path, bleating aimlessly. Our Lord Jesus suffered in the place of each redeemed sinner so that you and I never experience one day apart from Him, the Savior and King.
As this psalm closes, it is good to pray like the psalmist does- “Seek Your servant”. Every Christian has a position before the Lord, as a justified, sanctified believer. Those hidden in Christ are adopted into God’s family, given a heavenly inheritance without end. This is because of Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ transforms depraved sinners into redeemed ones. The grace of God has reached down and taken hold of every born again image bearer. He will not let His beloved go but intends for His mercy and love to follow you all the days of your life. This is the Christian’s greatest blessing because the goodness of God does not end when we die. It is only the beginning of our blessed eternity with the One who has always loved us first and best of all. God is faithful to pursue His children, and lead them all the way into His Kingdom, our Forever Home.
Grace upon grace,
April
Growing deeper: Psalm 23; Isaiah 53; Luke 15:1-7; Hebrews 7:24-28; 1 Peter 2:24-25
“Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me.” -Psalm 119:175
It isn’t just physical life the psalmist seeks after, but to drink deeper from the Wellspring of Life. God is the sustenance for every believer, strengthening us according to His good Word. He provides common grace to all people, supplying each breath, allowing good things even for the wicked to enjoy, albeit temporal. But the psalmist has spiritual eyes, a divine hunger to experience fellowship with the Holy God that is fresh and richly satisfying. Give me life is his cry.
More of God flows into more love of Him, more gratitude over our blessings, an awareness of His ocean of mercy, delighting in His beauty all around. The goodness of God is not found merely in what He gives us, but also in how He keeps us. He holds our salvation securely, with every believer’s name permanently written in the Book of Life. God restrains sin in the world and in us. The world is chaotic but consider how much worse it could be. The Lord in lovingkindness has given His laws to protect us from harm, so we do not destroy ourselves in sin. The surest way to ruin our lives and witness is to not live within the secure boundaries God provides. King David certainly understood this principle, as his sins toward Bathsheba and Uriah carried grave consequences which lasted the rest of his life.
Just like King David, Israel, and all sinners, we learn the hard way the cycle of sin, conviction, repentance, and restoration. There is forgiveness when we turn from God’s ways, momentarily not finding them enough. But what sweet blessing for the one who stays firmly planted in God’s garden, drawing sustenance from His vineyard. This is what life abundant in Jesus Christ looks like. He who abides in God’s laws is the one who truly lives and will indeed inherit everlasting life. Christ’s righteousness covers the redeemed sinner and the Spirit enables this new life to walk in holiness, freedom from the enslavement of sin. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise God for His wondrous love, measureless grace and boundless mercy!
“I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.” -Psalm 119:174
The psalmist longs for the completion of his salvation. When he wrote this psalm (likely King David), he saw only a shadow of the promise, a foretaste of the Great Messiah who was to come. He knew the promises but longed for God to fulfill them soon. But what is “soon” to the One outside of Time? To the Keeper of Time? We know on this side of the cross that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who has come and will come again. Only He fulfilled the Law, keeping it perfectly. Yet we follow God’s laws (commands) today as we wait for Jesus to come again once and for all. This is the Age of Grace as we learn the holy ways of our Lord. Like a child learning to ride a bike, first with training wheels, this is our training ground.
Charles Spurgeon says believers develop a “holy hunger” for God the more we are satisfied in Him. The Christian’s appetite is whetted for what is good, beautiful and true. Redeemed sinners have received their salvation in part, meaning in Christ we are forgiven and no longer condemned. But one day, our faith will be made sight as the whole of our salvation is consummated in Glory at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). Jesus is throwing a big party and you who are adopted into His family are invited. While we wait in the interim of the already and not yet, the Christian’s purpose today is to love the Lord above all else, love our neighbor and glorify God by keeping His commandments. We are called to walk worthy. Do you love God’s Word which contain His law? Do you delight in them? Walk in His ways even when your faith is small or weary. The Lord is faithful to transform our disciplined duty into delight for those He has called to Himself.
Grace upon grace,
April
Growing deeper: Matthew 5:17-19; 2 Peter 3:8-18; Revelation 22
“May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:173
After two verses of responding in praise to God, the psalmist turns his attention back to a plea for God’s mighty hand to intervene. Is there any better prayer than asking for God’s help? His request does not presume upon God with entitlement. He is not our genie and should never be approached with selfish motives. But Christians are His dear children. We come to Him in childlike, dependent faith. We are to serve Him, not the other way around. And yet, the wonder of it is God’s delight to bless His children. The Lord has given the psalmist a desire to follow His ways. Therefore, God will be faithful to help him walk in obedience. The grace of God enables earthly, weary saints in the power of the Holy Spirit.
From his commentary The Golden Alphabet, Charles Spurgeon observes from this verse: “If grace has given us the heart with which to will, it will also give us the hand with which to perform.” God does not call us to tasks we cannot accomplish. If they seem too great, we have His ear to cry for help in our time of need and He will strengthen and sustain. A parent of a young child does not demand they do a task beyond their intellectual or physical ability. The parent knows the child’s limits and sets responsibilities accordingly. In the same way, our loving Heavenly Father knows our frame and asks we rely on His strength, not our own. He has never commanded us to do something so ludicrous, like create the stars and throw them up in the sky. He calls us to trust in the One who made the stars and placed each one by name in the heavens.
It is right that we tremble before an Awesome Powerful God. Yet the pathway to His Throne is covered with the blood of Jesus. Those who belong to God in Christ are never more secure, loved, helped and heard by our Gracious King. Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, we may go to Him with confidence. The Lord has promised to help the believer on their pilgrim journey and God always keeps His promises. Only saints choose the way of God, longing to run the race with endurance and finish well. God’s people love His holy precepts because they love a Holy, Holy, Holy God!
“May my tongue sing of Your Word, for all Your commands are righteous.” -Psalm 119:172
The heart response of every Christian should be to speak, shout, and sing of the Lord’s lavish love! The spoken word is a great blessing and responsibility given to man. With our tongues we have the power to bless or curse, speak truth or a lie. Not only do we worship King Jesus with songs of praise, but He also commands us to go and tell others about Him. He is righteousness itself. He is Truth. Walking in obedience to God’s commands requires faithful lips, whether we are singing to our Redeemer or speaking of Him with others.
The Sunday School material for my son’s class had a quote recently which said, “Life is full of everyday choices to either make Jesus known or remain silent.” The treasure which we have found in God’s Word is not to be kept to ourselves. Is our joy for Jesus contagious? Can we but help speak of Him when others are around us? Matthew Henry exalts this verse in his commentary saying,
“The more we see of the righteousness of God’s commandments the more industrious we should be to bring others acquainted with them, that they may be ruled by them. We should always make the word of God the governor of our discourse, so as never to transgress it by sinful speaking or sinful silence; and we should often make it the subject-matter of our discourse, that it may feed many and minister grace to the hearers.”
Dear Christian, you are God’s ambassador. Represent Him well with the voice He gave you.
“May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees.” -Psalm 119:171
This is outward worship reflecting the inner man, transforming the psalmist in spiritual maturity. God has been faithful to teach him over the course of his life. The psalmist is receiving his answer for deliverance from the previous verse by growing deeper in wisdom through remembering God’s promises, believing the eternal glory for Christians outweighs his momentary troubles. God will not be mocked. He will dispense perfect justice at the end of time, avenging His children. What is our response then? Like the psalmist, we too rejoice in childlike praise to our Heavenly Father. He has taught us to trust Him, and will continue to teach you and me as long as we have days on this earth. Why would anyone place trust in an unseen being? Because God has demonstrated His faithfulness throughout history, displaying His power and love toward His people. The Lord has kept every promise, every covenant blessing. Christians can overflow with praise and gratitude because God has shown the depth of His love and commitment to us by sending His Only Son Jesus to the cross. The death and wrath of God meant for us was laid on Him. Those who look to Jesus are saved by His grace and God’s rich mercy. This is worthy of our praise every day. May we remember the Gospel as we have been taught. It is true and it is true for all who come to Christ in faith. The wellspring of our hearts will naturally then burst into worship for our Savior and Friend, King Jesus.
redeemed in grace 