Brick Upon Brick—The Formative Power of Our Words: Psalm 119:41-48
Brick Upon Brick—the formative power of our words
Psalm 119:41-48
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Proverbs 18:21
Refreshing. Encouraging. Uplifting. Gracious. Comforting. Wise. Tender. Gentle. Embracing. Soothing. Calming. Understanding. Joyful. Life-giving. If you’ve ever been with someone and walked away feeling their words imparted something of that list, you leave the conversation a little lighter, more joyful, and refreshed. And in your soul, you know that to speak in such a life-giving way is a blessing and treasure to those who benefit from it. As believers, this is our call and aim. We are to speak to others in such a way that our words lift others up, impart grace, and they leave our presence refreshed. If metaphorically another person was a building, would our words be carefully placed bricks, building them up? Or are our words chisels or sledgehammers, destroying and breaking one another down?
Paul encourages us to consider our words carefully. In Ephesians 4:29 he says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” He emphasizes that the words which come out of our mouths should only be words that are good for building up. Our words should fit the occasion or be according to the need of the moment. The result of good words that build up and are fitting for the moment is that with those words we impart grace to the one that hears us. But the ability to impart gracious words requires self-control, good listening, good intentions, and wisdom and perception of the moment. These are all skills that must be developed over time and practice, but these are worthy goals for every believer.
Secondly, in Colossians 4:6 Paul says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Again Paul encourages our speech to always be gracious. This time he adds “seasoned with salt.” Salt preserves food and protects from decay and putrification. Thus our speech, our words, should be without impurity or hypocrisy. Our speech should be sincere and truthful. Again, wisdom is needed as we speak to others so that we know how we ought to answer each one, graciously and with sincerity. As we speak with others, what can we perceive is needed in this moment in order for them to be built up? What edifying words can we speak so that we are strengthening, comforting, encouraging, counseling, and refreshing one another?
In Psalm 119:43, the psalmist requests that the Lord “Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.” We, too, need His Word in our mouths, and we need to delight and love His commandments (119:47-48). His Word loved in our hearts and spoken with our mouths leads to being able to give a fitting response to those we interact with on a daily basis, even those who treat us wrongly (119:42) and those in authority over us (119:46). God’s Word has a unique power to transform us and to conform us into the image of Christ, including the words that come out of our mouths and the manner in which they are spoken. I desperately need this transforming power day after day. When Paul writes to Philemon, I love the testimony we hear of Philemon's life. "For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you" (Philemon 7).
Life or death. Blessing or cursing. Worthless or edifying. Sincere or hypocritical. Refreshing or tearing down. Building up or destroying. These are the choices we make with our words. Let’s pray through this section of Psalm 119 for our mouths to be filled with words that build up and refresh the hearts of those who hear.
119:41-43 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
Pray:
▫️My heart would be filled with the love of Christ and it would compel me to speak with love toward those I see today. Is there someone you find it difficult to speak kindly to? Are there situations when you find it most difficult to speak in an edifying way? Take a few minutes to speak to the Lord about those people and situations.
▫️I would trust in Your Word and meditate on it, so that my heart and speech begin to be transformed by it. ▫️Through the knowledge of Your Word and dependence upon Your Spirit, I would have wisdom and discernment to know how to answer those I will see today, whether it be in tense situations, responding to those who are unkind or rude, or speaking tender words of comfort to someone in need.
▫️The hope I have in Your Word would flow from my mouth to others in my life. I would speak words of life, hope, encouragement, and grace to those who hear me. Is there someone in your life that could use your words of encouragement and upbuilding, either verbally or in written form?
119:44-45 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
Pray:
▫️I would keep Your law, specifically in regards to not letting any corrupting speech proceed from my mouth. Rather, I would speak to build others up, speak in a way that fits the occasion, and I would be truthful and sincere in my speech.
▫️You would set me in a wide place because I am seeking Your precepts and committing myself to obeying them.
119:46-48 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.
Pray:
▫️I would have boldness to speak Your Word without fear, even to those in positions of authority over me. I would also be able to show by my speech that I am discerning, self-controlled, and judicious.
▫️I would delight in Your commandments and have an increasing love for them, and the more I delight in them and meditate on them, the more my speech would be changed to life-giving speech.
▫️I would become like Philemon, refreshing the hearts of others, and I would use my words in such a way that I would build up those with whom I speak.
▫️“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).
May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.
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