This is My Story...

Do you know that hymn? Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! I love the chorus: This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long... Earlier this week I was thinking about how (like everyone and everything) I have strengths and weaknesses. I think one of my biggest strengths has to do with words. I love just about anything (positive) that has to do with words: singing and writing songs, journaling, blogging, talking, teaching, encouraging, word games, praying, reading God's Word, studying words, learning new languages... Words are my thing. (Keeping my house clean, cooking, being on time... not so much.) The same morning I had this realization, I had been reading Psalm 145. I went back to it and was blown away by all it had to say about what we can do with our words when they're about God. Here's Psalm 145:

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

There are two things about this Psalm that I love at this moment. First of all, it tells me what to do with my words. In as many ways as David could think of, he talks about talking about or talking to God and then in the middle, almost as if he can't keep it in any longer, he stops talking about talking and starts just talking about God and how marvelous and wonderful He is. Which brings me to the second thing. Look at what this psalm tells us about God. He is glorious, righteous, slow to anger, compassionate, loving, good to all, near to us when we call, He saves us, fulfills our desires, watches over us... If this were the only thing I knew about God I would want Him. I would want a relationship with Him. I would want to be one of the ones He rescues and loves. I would want the blessed assurance of saying "Jesus is mine."

So, I think in some ways, this Psalm is my story and my song. I want to use my words to tell others about God and to worship and praise and exalt and extol Him. Because He is worthy. If I can spend my life and my words doing that, I think I will have fulfilled at least one of my purposes for existing.

My Precious Jesus, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart and the posts on my blog be pleasing in Your sight. May they bring glory to You because You alone are worthy.

~With All my Heart, Melissa