Joel M Bradshaw

14Let 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

My wife once cooked me a fantastic birthday dinner. And I remember that rather than gushing with thanksgiving, I decided to play a little joke on her. When she asked me how everything tasted, I remember replying, “This is acceptable. A very suitable dinner. Thank you.”

You could imagine the look she gave me in that moment. Even when I revealed that I was joking and it was a wonderful dinner, I had ruined the moment. I learned that was not something to joke about.

But regarding myself and God? There’s so much of me that is not suitable. Attitudes and sins that are never acceptable. Even the sins we consider the smallest or least consequential render us stained and unacceptable before the holiness of God. Adam and Eve found out that even one sin led to disastrous consequences, didn’t they? So I long for God to see me as acceptable, for I know that in my selfishness, I am like that Isaiah 53 sheep that has gone astray.

The word for “acceptable” was used many times in the Old Testament to speak of sacrifices that were allowed to be on the altar. We might think of the unblemished, male Passover lamb. Only certain sacrifices were considered acceptable. So this wasn’t like my failed dinner joke, but rather serious business. It was as if David viewed the words that he said and even the thoughts that he pondered within as sacrifices to put before God.

Let that sink in. David wasn’t putting forward a substitute to sacrifice on the altar, he was putting his own words and thoughts. That God would find them acceptable in His eyes.

My wife cooked me a nice meal because she loves me and wanted to make my birthday special. She wanted me to be happy. It’s as if David wants God to be happy with the things that he says and the thoughts that he thinks. That God would find them acceptable, suitable, or worthy.

The outer you must please God. Everyone can see the outer you. You can keep silent and not say sinful things. You can knock it off and not do sinful actions. But the inner workings of your thoughts? Your emotions and inner dialogue? There’s where the war is for most of us.

The inner you also must please God. They must honor our Lord, rock, and redeemer.–JMB