40 Days of Words | Day 1

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of Words
Day 1| ACCEPTABLE WORDS | Psalm 19:14 
ACCEPTABLE WORDS

Introduction
Today we begin a new series of devotionals here which I’m calling “40 days of WORDS.”
The number 40 has some interesting significance in science, literature and in Scripture.

  • “Forty” is the only number in English whose letters appear in alphabetical order.
  • Minus 40 degrees is the only temperature that is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius.
  • When the bubonic plague gripped Europe during the Middle Ages, ships would be isolated in harbor for 40 days before passengers could go ashore. The Italian word for 40 is quaranta— hence quarantine.
  • Forget nine months… the typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks.
  • It took chemists 40 attempts to develop the magic spray we call WD-40.
  • “40 winks” is the considered the perfect nap.
  • 40 hours is the typical American work week.

On the Biblical side…
  • Moses, Elijah and Jesus each fasted in the desert for 40 days.
  • The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years.
  • Ezekiel was instructed to lay on his right side for 40 days to “bear the iniquity” of Judea’s sins.
  • Three great Hebrew kings reigned for 40 years each: Saul, David and Solomon.
  • Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days before David defeated him.
  • God destroyed every living thing on the Earth by flooding it for 40 days.
And so, we shall consider what Scripture says about WORDS for the next 40 days.

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

We’ve all done it, some of us more than others, but we’ve all done it.  We’ve said something and immediately (or soon after) regretted having said what we did.  In times like those you only WISHED you could hit “repeat” and “do-over.”

I remember playing basketball as a little kid. Sometimes you asked for a “do-over” because the shot was so bad.

Our words matter.  It may not seem that way at times… but they do.

But even MORE than what others may think of what we say, the LORD cares about what we say.
Are our words encouraging?  Enlightening?  Inspiring?  Uplifting? Soothing?  Instructive?  Guiding?  Or are our words Condemning? Critical? Hurtful?  Insulting?

The Lord makes it clear that our words need to be acceptable IN HIS SIGHT.  He is our strength.  He is our Redeemer.

And… since we’re ALL made in the image of God, what we say to other “image bearers,” matters.

Prayer: LORD, help me with this never-ending battle of keeping my words and my thoughts pleasing and acceptable in YOUR sight.  I need your help, every day. Amen.