your mouth tells you what's in your heart

 Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39-7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28 

Let's look at Luke. Jesus tells us that "The mouth speaks what the heart is full of." If you fill your heart full of hate and envy and spite and evil, then that's what will come out - especially when you're stressed or surprised. If you fill your heart full of love, forgiveness, kindness, and Jesus, then that is what will come from your mouth when you are hurting or sad or lonely or afraid. 

So how do we fill our hearts with these things? We decide every day what our hearts will be full of. Do you focus on the evil around you? Do you hate people even when you don't express it out loud? Do you long for the things your neighbor has even if you never mention how envious you are?

On the other hand, do you spend time with Jesus every day? Do you read the Bible, which He's given us to learn His will and His voice? Do you come as close as you can to "praying continuously" that we're encouraged to do in 1 Thess 5:16?

If we start now, filling our hearts and minds with love and goodness, then when the trials come, our lips will express what's already in our hearts.

The wonderful missionary Amy Carmichael once said, "A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even a single bitter drop, no matter how suddenly jarred." This is a high goal for all of us, but one which we can work toward every day.

God, thanks for teaching us to fill our hearts with what we want coming out of our mouths.