place your hot coal upon my lips, O Lord
So here is the thing.
I am not sure what it is that the Lord is desiring to do in my heart in these six months of consecration. I had quite a limited scope of vision at first when I began, but I believe that it is so much more. I believe that in addition to healing my heart from broken relationships, sins of the past, wrong mindsets stemming from hurts, etc etc, he is also wanting to work out the "smaller" things in my daily life.
For instance, everyone knows that we are to put a guard over our mouths.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Titus 2:7-8
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,[a] 8 sound SPEECH that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
Psalm 17:3
You have tested my heart;You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartBe acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 37:30
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,And his tongue talks of justice.
Psalm 39:1
[ To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. ] I said, “I will guard my ways,Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”
Psalm 71:8
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day.
Psalm 71:15
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousnessAnd Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits.
So you get the picture, although I could go on and on. The Lord is just really begining to deal with my speech, which is careless at best, sinful and malicious at worst. I am having a difficult time removing the grey areas from my mind in regards to my speech and the words that come out of my mouth. We know that "out of the abundance of the heart, a man will speek," and I want my heart to be abundantly full of God's tender mercies, grace, righteousness, and peace. I am appalled at some of the things that have come out of my mouth since I have begun to be more sensitive to it. I cannot believe how many things I say that do not need to, and should not be said.
I wonder how many people I have hurt with my carelessness?
So if I have stung you with my words, or cut you deeply, I repent to you right now because I KNOW that life or death flow from the tongue, and yet sometimes I choose to speak death. For anyone that I have transgressed against with my tongue, forgive me because I have not shown you the heart of God for you.
I guess its funny that the "small" things end up being the things that are most important and foundational. So while none of this is EASY, it is good, and the death to my flesh will bring life to my spirit, and a closeness to God that I desire more and more every day. Every day I realize a little more the depth of my depravity, and the scope of my utter NEED for more of Him.
All I had to do was ask Him to show me my heart, and change me.
He sure isn't wasting any time. Then again, I think changing people into His image is one of His favorite things to do.
I am not sure what it is that the Lord is desiring to do in my heart in these six months of consecration. I had quite a limited scope of vision at first when I began, but I believe that it is so much more. I believe that in addition to healing my heart from broken relationships, sins of the past, wrong mindsets stemming from hurts, etc etc, he is also wanting to work out the "smaller" things in my daily life.
For instance, everyone knows that we are to put a guard over our mouths.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Titus 2:7-8
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,[a] 8 sound SPEECH that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
Psalm 17:3
You have tested my heart;You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartBe acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 37:30
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,And his tongue talks of justice.
Psalm 39:1
[ To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. ] I said, “I will guard my ways,Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”
Psalm 71:8
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day.
Psalm 71:15
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousnessAnd Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits.
So you get the picture, although I could go on and on. The Lord is just really begining to deal with my speech, which is careless at best, sinful and malicious at worst. I am having a difficult time removing the grey areas from my mind in regards to my speech and the words that come out of my mouth. We know that "out of the abundance of the heart, a man will speek," and I want my heart to be abundantly full of God's tender mercies, grace, righteousness, and peace. I am appalled at some of the things that have come out of my mouth since I have begun to be more sensitive to it. I cannot believe how many things I say that do not need to, and should not be said.
I wonder how many people I have hurt with my carelessness?
So if I have stung you with my words, or cut you deeply, I repent to you right now because I KNOW that life or death flow from the tongue, and yet sometimes I choose to speak death. For anyone that I have transgressed against with my tongue, forgive me because I have not shown you the heart of God for you.
I guess its funny that the "small" things end up being the things that are most important and foundational. So while none of this is EASY, it is good, and the death to my flesh will bring life to my spirit, and a closeness to God that I desire more and more every day. Every day I realize a little more the depth of my depravity, and the scope of my utter NEED for more of Him.
All I had to do was ask Him to show me my heart, and change me.
He sure isn't wasting any time. Then again, I think changing people into His image is one of His favorite things to do.