When we are having a good day, we wish it would last forever.
But how do we string those good days together to make a whole life?
And what does that have to do with worshiping God?
Join in as we continue to study Psalm 34. See in verses 11-14 that worshiping God is the good life.
Our Happiness and Our Worship
When my grandmother made it to her 90s, she wanted to put in her mouth whatever tasted good to her. Cheetos. Chocolate. Candy.
We all want to be happy. And sometimes we think we’ve earned the right to be happy, either because of our age or our current position or previous circumstances.
But we don’t always know how to make ourselves happy past the moment, how to build a desirable life year after year.
And even more rarely, we don’t always see the connection between our own happiness and our reverence for God.
Listen to David
In Psalm 34, David connects the dots. Like a father gathering his children around him, he says, “Come here. Pay attention.”
“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?”
Psalm 34:11-12
Do you want to love life and see good things?
Worship the Lord.
And how do we do that, David? How do we worship an invisible being?
David keeps it simple.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 33:13-14
In other words:
Mind your mouth.
Discipline your doings.
- What words are we taking in?
- What words are we speaking out?
- Are we running away from bad things?
- Are we running toward good things?
Begin Now
The good life requires sustained intention as we reverence the Lord.
When we intentionally shield our tongues from hate, keep our lips from lies, we will honor the Lord.
When we intentionally choose life over death, pursue peace over chaos, we are respecting the Lord.
It may not guarantee we live to see our 90s like my grandmother did. And it doesn’t mean our lives will be easy.
But living our lives to honor the Lord will help us see more goodness.
A holy life begun now will continue forever into the afterlife.
It’s No Secret
In the last months of my grandmother’s life, she could no longer live alone. She moved in with my aunt. And her diet got healthier again. What she put into her mouth was more nutritious.
And what came out of my grandmother’s mouth? She continued to give praise to her Creator.
The secret to a long life may be complex and dependent on many things.
But the secret to a good life doesn’t have to be a secret.
- Respect the Lord.
- Mind your mouth.
- Discipline your doings.
For Study and Reflection:
- Read Psalm 34:11-14. What is David promising to teach?
- Make a list of good things you see on a daily basis.
- Say a prayer of thanks for those good things, and ask God to show you even more.
- Study the following passages: Luke 6:45; Romans 12:18; Proverbs 8:13. How do they fit in with Psalm 34:11-14?
- Put up a special effort the next few days to live in peace. Use your words only for good, not for harm.
How long did your grandparents live?
What good things have you seen in your life this week?
We’d love to hear.
My grandparents lived a long life and my parents are now 83YO. I would have to concur … worshiping the Lord has been the strength and joy of all their lives. Praying this would be said of me as well for all of my days. Lisa, have a blessed day!
That’s awesome that you have such longevity in your family and still have your parents. I know you are able to appreciate that. From all I know of you, Joanne, it can be said that worshipping the Lord does define you!
These are some great thoughts, Lisa! I love the way you summed it up: Mind your mouth and Discipline your doings!
On one side of my family the grandparents lived up into their 80s. On the other side, they died young. I’m in that fine tension of being 60 believing I have another 25 years or so! Either way, I know worshiping my Lord is the way to have good days – here or there!
My grandparents lived to be older than my parents did, so I’m not sure where my genes will take me. But thankfully your outlook is applicable no matter what: whether here or there, we’ll be praising and it will be good! :) Thanks, Jerralea.
Thanks for the uplifting devotional, Lisa.
Though all my grandparents and both parents have left this earth, my grandmothers had the longest lives. Both lived into their 90s, so I look forward to a long life as well.
God especially blessed me yesterday. Positive steps were made in tutoring and relating spiritually to a few women in jail. Also, a break-through came for a problem my son faces, and it no longer poses the threat that it had earlier. Praise the Lord! He truly is a good, good Father!!!
The women tend to outlive the men in my family too. But my grandmother who lived the longest always suspected each year would be her last. :) She was wrong again and again.
I’m glad you’ve seen such good things this week, Lois. Your jail ministry sounds amazing, and praise God that your son’s perspective has shifted. I need to let God shift my perspective on a few problems as well. Yes, God is the best!
I choose to live a good long life because i want to be used by Jesus. How long that will be who knows (Only Him). But my philosophy is to live my life as an adventure and when He calls me home i will have spent it all for Him and others will know Him because of that.
He could have called you home already with your bike accidents, so I’m thankful He’s left you here to continue doing good, Bill. Courageous people like you are an encouragement to us all.
I knew you were going this way! Words from God have a way of lifting a spirit. Thanks for sharing your heart and wisdom.
Even though God doesn’t always take away the hard things, He does give us good things to help us get through. His presence and the presence of brothers/sisters are among the best of those good things. Thanks for your heart and wisdom too, Floyd.
My grandparents lived into their late 80’s. My dad lived until 85 and my Mom until 93. I am hopeful I can enjoy my “golden” years and delight in the Lord, as I discipline my ways. May my mouth be filled with His praise for all He has done for me. I adhere to this saying as well: “A
spire to inspire before you expire! (Amos 5:14, “Seek good and not evil that you may live, so the Lord God of hosts will be with you , as You have spoken).
I love your saying to aspire to inspire before you expire. :) It sounds like you have longevity built into your DNA. How beautiful for saints to live many years giving praise to the Lord.
So many nuggets of wisdom is this post. I especially love “pay attention”. I have a tendency to wander and forget. I need to remind myself to pay attention. And of course “mind your mouth”. I have to watch that, too!
I need to be reminded myself, again and again, to “pay attention”. :) Even when they are things we already know, we still need the Lord (and others) to help us remember to be kind, to give grace, to use our words wisely. Thanks, Laurie!
True words from a psalm I find myself coming back to time and again! Thank you for the reminder. Though the Lord doesn’t promise our life will be all peaches and cream (“in this world you will have trouble…” John 16:33), there are so many passages in scripture that tell us that can we can have peace and joy in life as we obey His word.
I would like the peaches and cream part more often. :) But you’re exactly right. That’s not the life we’re promised. Finding peace IN the chaos, and finding joy IN the hard things is the truest gift!
“Mind your mouth. Discipline your doings.” So good, Lisa! I love the simplicity of this desire for good days and loving life…worship the Lord, mind our mouth, discipline our doings. Such a fresh word and insight.
And my paternal grandmother passed away just a few months shy of her 100 birthday. :-)
Thanks, Karen. I can’t even imagine living 100 years. I’d barely be over the halfway mark right now. ha. My maternal great grandmother lived to be 102 and kept her mind and health almost to the very end. If we’re going to live long, we want it to be good too! :)