Consider the last time you had a communication misunderstanding with someone. This is particularly painful if this is an important person to you. Or you spoke words with the best of intentions yet, they weren’t well-received. Our words did not convey our hearts.
Psalm 139:4 assures us this mishap will never happen when we communicate with God. God assures us that He knows our words, and the intent behind them, before we even speak. Even if we aren’t gifted at using the correct word to adequately describe our feelings or thoughts, God knows what’s on our hearts before we even try to tell Him.
It’s amazing! Even when we know someone really well and can often finish their sentences, we don’t always intuitively know what they mean to say in every instance. But God does.
Nothing is hidden from our all-knowing God. He loves us so much, He pays attention to our words and what is on our minds and in our hearts.
He knows what drives us to say what we speak, and He understands the thoughts and feelings behind the words. We never need to explain ourselves to God, although we often do.
And God patiently listens, letting us get it all out while He offers us wisdom, guidance and comfort, if we ask.
Later in verse five, we are assured that God “hedges” us, or protects us. He wants to help us as we navigate daily life. He wants us to consider not only our words, which He warns can hurt others, as stated in Proverbs 18:21, but He also wants us to protect our hearts.
Unlike our words creating a misunderstanding with someone, our hearts can create a misunderstanding within ourselves. We may not realize what is in our own hearts until words escape our mouths initiating serious self-reflection. For out of our mouths come from what’s in our hearts. (Matthew 15:18)
God wants to help guide our hearts to truth and love. As Jeremiah 17:10 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his way, by which his deeds deserve.” (NIV)
The idea that God knows what is on our tongue before we speak and what is in our hearts before we realize it ourselves, should actually comfort us. As we draw closer to Him and try to fix our eyes on Jesus, He will guide our true intentions to honor Him by teaching us to watch our words and guard our hearts.
Will you join me in a prayer for just that?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You know my words before I speak. You know my heart, often before I do. Please grow me Lord, to speak truth from a heart of love. Draw me closer to You so that I can focus on Your truth and what You have for me instead of what I want. May my words serve to glorify You. In Jesus’ name. amen.