My Tongue Will Tell

- Psalm 71 is summarized as "A psalm of old age. Retrospect of a life of trust, beset by troubles and enemies all the way, with his joy in God undimmed." (from Halley's Bible Handbook) I really like that! With joy in God undimmed! Verses 22-24 (NIV), "I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You--I whom You have delivered. My tongue will tell of Your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion." show a promise to praise in confident anticipation of God's deliverance. The Psalmist (most likely David) was certain that God would bring all to pass; he spoke as if it were already accomplished. He knew that those who wanted to harm him would be put to shame & confusion...they would be defeated. It demonstrates his strong faith in God that his prayer is sure to be answered in events yet to come. He's very confident in God's saving help in behalf of His people according to His covenant promises. We can learn much from David. He prayed a lot and he praised God a lot. He prayed and praised with fierce faith in God and devoted dependence on God. I want to pray and praise like that. 

- May we declare God's righteous deeds (which include His justice, truth, mercy, power, goodness, faithfulness, etc.) all day long...every chance we get! May we faithfully tell of our Redeemer's righteousness, deliverance, and victory! We already know we have victory in Christ Jesus (not just an anticipation like David). Our lives are a testimony of what God has done for us, in us, and through us. Remembering God's blessings helps us see His faithfulness & inexhaustible grace, trust Him with confidence, and tell others about Him and all He has done for us. Leave a testimony for succeeding generations. How often do you talk with your children about God and the Bible? "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 11:19) My tongue (my blog, too :)) will continue to tell/testify of Who God is and what He has done. I want my life to be a continuous praise song and a bright thank-You card that the world hears and sees. I hope and pray that my attitudes, words, and actions will always draw people to my Lord and Savior. I will never stop proclaiming Christ and what He did on the cross. "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." (Acts 20:24) Let's live to tell what Jesus died to do!
"My mouth is filled with Your praise, declaring Your splendor all day long...My mouth will tell of Your righteous deeds, of Your saving acts all day long--though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim Your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim Your righteous deeds, Yours alone!" (Psalm 71:8,15-16)
"My tongue will proclaim Your righteousness, Your praises all day long." (Psalm 35:28)
"As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my Refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds." (Psalm 73:28)
"May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees. May my tongue sing of Your Word, for all Your commands are righteous." (Psalm 119:171-172)

-  "Celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar ... Observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." (Esther 9: 20–22) (Since I'm studying Esther, this is relevant :).)
Purim is a holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies. It is to remember God's protection over them from annihilation at the hand of Haman. The Jews celebrate Purim by dressing in costumes (often based on characters from the Book of Esther), enjoying festive meals, exchanging gift baskets, and giving gifts to the poor. In synagogues around the world, the entire scroll of Esther is publicly read twice during Purim, once at night and once during the day after. (Information gleaned from the Bibles for Israel Ministry) A holiday or a tradition is one of the ways through which we tell of God's righteous acts from one generation to another. "These days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews--nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants." (Esther 9:28)

How and how often do you tell others about God?