Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart (Psalm 15:1,2 NKJV).
One thing that struck me with the entire chapter of Psalm 15 is the active nature of the things we are commanded to do. I’d like to encourage you to take some time to look at them and consider how to put them into action in your own life.
This devotional will focus on just one of them -- speaking the truth in our heart.
On any given day, we have thousands of thoughts that go through our mind. Most of the time we are not even aware of them. Other times, we are caught up in the midst of them and can barely focus on other things. Seldom, however, do we actually chose to be intentional about our thoughts.
The verse above gives a partial secret to abiding in the tabernacle of the Lord. That secret is to speak the truth in our hearts.
Speaking goes a step beyond thinking. It is a more forceful form of the same idea. It takes a thought, and puts some “oomph” into it. Speaking is definitely not passive.
Unfortunately, our fallen nature naturally speaks lies, rather than the truth. Additionally, we are bombarded with lies in the world in which we live. Because of that, we won’t speak the truth in our hearts automatically. If we’re not intentional, it won’t happen.
One of the best ways to get to the place of speaking the truth in your heart is to immerse yourself in the Bible. Read it, study it, and memorize it. Memorizing is an important step in the process because it enables you to meditate on the verse throughout the day, when you do not even have the Bible open. It also provides a menu of Scripture selections for the Holy Spirit to call to mind at the times when they are most needed.
There will be an ongoing battle in your mind between lies and the truth. Choosing to saturate your mind with the Word of God will enable you to be one who speaks the truth in your heart, and thus abide in the tabernacle of the Lord.
Father, we pray that You will help us to be people of Your Word. Help us to saturate our minds with the truth of the Bible so that we will be people who throughout the day speak the truth in our hearts. Help us to fix our minds and thoughts on You. -- Amen.
Reflection:
© 2007 by Rebecca Livermore
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Do you have a plan for regular Bible intake? If not, start one today! Consider making Scripture memory and meditation part of your plan. As you do that, you will begin to speak the truth in your heart on a more regular basis.