Psalm 34: The Root of Words

Psalm 34
The Root of Words

13. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

14. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16. but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

The title of Psalm 34 reminds us of the situation when David fled from Saul and sought refuge with Abimelech, king of Gath. We can imagine David pretending to be insane, drooling saliva in front of Abimelech and his servants to save his life.

However, the content of the psalm doesn't seem to relate to that situation. Like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, it offers various teachings.

Verse 13 says, "Watch your words! Don't speak evil or tell lies!" These days, many hearings are being held in Congress, and they're all about words.

"Do you still think the same way you spoke in the past?"

"Are you willing to apologize for what you said in the past?"

Everyone is questioning past statements.

We must be careful with our words because they reveal our hearts, mindsets, and values. Isn't it true that by listening carefully to someone's words, we can understand what kind of person they are?

It's important to cultivate good speech. However, it's even more important to cultivate a good heart. And to have sound values and rational thinking.

When the root is rotten, the tree will die. Even a tree with lush foliage will eventually die if its roots are rotten. No matter how eloquently one speaks, a person with an evil heart, unsound values, and irrational thinking will be ruined by their words. This is because the heart, mindset, and values are the roots of our words.

Prayer: God, help us cultivate our hearts well. Grant us good hearts, right values, and rational thinking. Let us live today fearing you, with good and humble hearts. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth. Amen.