Harmony of the Heart
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NRSV)One morning, while praying, it dawned on me that my words were not at all synchronized with my heart. What I was saying had nothing to do with what I was thinking or feeling. I was intentionally trying to cover up my true thoughts and feelings with my rhetoric, thinking God would not realize what I was doing. So I stopped. I decided to be silent and let my heart do the talking. After all, some of what I was thinking was too shameful for me to speak and too painful for me to form into words anyway.
When the Psalmist said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD…” I believe he was experiencing the same masquerade I was. His words were not matching his heart. He realized he was not acknowledging the tawdry thoughts and submerged faults in his heart (v.12-13), so he decided it was time to get his words in harmony with his heart.
This experience has both intimidated me and transformed me. It has brought me to a new understanding of what it means to pray. My words will never be loud enough to drown out the “meditation of my heart.” That does not mean I will not try. It simply means I know how futile it will be.
Father, let my heart dictate my words. Let my lips convey the thoughts of my heart. May they both be acceptable to you. Amen.
By Norm (North Carolina, USA)
