Day 156 Hush, Hush

 

6/5/2025

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." 

Psalm 19:14 

 

Why is it that harsh words and criticism flows more easily from one's lips than love and kindness? In the morning, after I first get up, I have to be still and quiet before God, preparing my heart for the day, as each day brings disturbing news and becomes more charged with disagreements, backbiting and ridicule. The world has gone mad, and there seems to be little, if any, compassion remaining, and little common sense either. Why must we always fall prey to the one who seeks to ensnare us in every evil? After all we've gone through as a nation, why can't we see with clarity the cunning of the enemy?

Today was one such day when the morning, afternoon, and evening news repeated the same story from reputable media sources, the only ones I read. It makes me wonder why ugliness prints better, and the positive, more affirming news makes the back page. Each day a leader in the church meets with accusations of moral decline. All the while people watch and take note, especially the younger ones who so desperately seek for better things. We are supposed to be the "light of the world," but we have become beacons of ill will and gossips. Proverbs 16:28 says: "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends." We've been witness to that today in our government, and I am sure that it will continue to be in the headlines for days to come. Rather than perpetuate these misgivings to others, we are called to extinguish the fires and flames. "Without wood, a fire goes out; without a gossip, a quarrel dies down." (Proverbs 26:20). But it even seems as the Christian commentators often breathe suspicion and contempt, rather than speak of civility, peace, forgiveness, and accord.

My day was wrought with tears as I lamented the words of others, spoken in haste, in confusion, saber rattling in some instances. I often wonder whose eyes have truly gazed upon the Lord, or who has been in His holy temple. Who has a clean and pure heart and considers his own shortcomings before daring to accuse another. We are concerned with what is going on behind closed doors of government or in the schools and corridors, but we have not concerned ourselves with what lurks within the shadows of our minds and secretly plays out behind the closed doors of our homes. What lessons are we teaching our children? What characteristics of a loving and forgiving God do they witness in the way we live and speak and behave towards each other.

Each day I try to say the words of Psalm 51, the words that David spoke, as I have mentioned before, as I want to live my life surrendered to Christ, and I ache to see all men come to His saving grace. I can only share my testimony, and perhaps compared to some mine is a mere walk in the park. Regardless, I have sinned and fallen so far from grace, even as His child. But yet, God forgives us, because He loves us so much. I never want to fail Him again, although I am not so naive as to think I will not think something or say something, or do something that is not as He desires. Until Jesus returns, and takes us home, we remain imperfect, but the key is the desire to be like Him:

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, 

put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  

bearing with one another,  and forgiving one another, 

 if anyone has a complaint against another; 

even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

 But above all these things put on love, 

which is the bond of perfection. 

  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

to which also you were called in one body; 

and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 

in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another 

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,  

 singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.   

And whatever you do in word or deed,  

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:12-17

  

As time goes by, as it rapidly does, we can choose to hush the rumblings of the noise within and outside our hearts while silencing the noise of the world, deciding to trust God, who is trustworthy, never changing, omnipotent and good. Or, we can look at the world through the lens of the writer, one who, perhaps, does not always walk in wisdom, guarding his speech, and we can fall prey to the enemy, wasting valuable time, for time is short. When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, we do not fellowship with darkness. Neither do we ignore it, but we approach our days in prayer, praise, and worship. We apply the precious blood of Jesus, and we put on the whole armor of God, bathing it in prayer. We walk in the light as He is in the light, and we apply the following:

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt,

that you may know how you ought to answer each one." 

Colossians 4:5-6

 

Trust me on this, as I have tried it, and it works most effectively, when we begin our day looking within before we look without.