True Discerner

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

When I moved to the US in 1998, I noticed that my pastor quoted Psalm 19:14 every time he was about to preach. It is a beautiful prayer. The thing is, these words are not for preachers only. It applies to us, people who want to stop complaining so much too. 

The psalmist precedes verse 14 with the following: 

“Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

God is the true discerner of the heart. We need to follow the example of the psalmist and ask God to help us have dominion over a lifestyle of complaining. We need to pray that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts can be acceptable to God. 

I have to remind you that you can’t settle for keeping your complaining in your mind only. We need to ask God to transform us so that both the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart are pleasing to Him. 

How do you get there? 

We have to be people of the Word. Verses 7-9 speak about the merits of the word of God. It revives us. The word gives us wisdom. It also helps our hearts to rejoice. Even our eyes are enlightened when we read the Bible. 

This 40-days of no complaint is not a gimmick or a formula I came up with. This process is all about getting at the feet of God with our sinful selves and asking Him to change us into His image. 

When we do have complaints, here are the questions we need to ask ourselves:

• What is the goal of my complaint? Is it to damage someone's reputation or is it to find a peaceful resolution?

 

• What is the estate of my heart as I complain? Do I need to forgive? Do I need counseling? Do I need to pray before talking to others about my issues?

 

• Will my complaint be fruitful? Do I need to learn more about the natural processes of life? Do I need to create a thankful heart instead of a complaining heart?

Today, I want to challenge you not to settle for less. God wants to change you but you need to do your part. Let’s pray together.

Prayer: Lord, I can’t discern my errors. Forgive me for my presumptuous sins. Do not let them have dominion over me. I give you total control of my heart and mind. Now, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. In Jesus’ name, amen.