Out of the ABUNDANCE of the Heart

“Jesus said, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks’” (Mt 12:34b).

Have you ever said something to someone in frustration or anger, and after those words are spoken you wish you could take them back?  Have you ever had to see the sad results of unkind or judgmental words spoken in haste?  Well, I have!  When seeing the other person ‘cave in’ and cry, I had to ask myself, “Why did I say that?  Why wasn’t I more understanding, more kind, more patient?” Jesus said, “FIRST look at the beam in your OWN eye” (Mat 7:3). In my heart was a big question mark that spoke back to me, “Don’t you know the Word? Why aren’t you obeying it?  What could cause this immature and self-righteous behavior?”

After asking myself these questions, the Lord said very clearly, “Out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaks.”  I had to search my heart to find out why words of frustration towards someone, with more problems than I had, could come out of my mouth so readily!  So, what was in my heart?

The Word says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Ps 119:11). This is pretty simple.  That means that every time I was “offended”, I was going through the motions of forgiveness, kindness, understanding or patience, by putting on a “yellow smile”.

I was not going to the Lord for the Word to cleanse me whenever my emotions didn’t respond positively to the problem.  Those emotions were actually being stored up in my heart, rather than the Word being stored there to cleanse out those wrong reactions!  So, what happens is that the storing of emotions that aren’t cleansed by the Word will just eventually explode when the container gets too full!!

Keeping the Word stored in my heart isn’t that difficult.  It can be done everyday, throughout the day, even continually!  My goal is to be led by the Holy Spirit.  I want to be sensitive to His voice, His reactions, His guidance and His answers for every situation I am in.

But that can only happen when He is able to get through to me and He abides very closely when the Word has that pre-eminence in my heart. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Ro 8:5). What takes the time away from that time that is needed to continually absorb the Word–to be in the Spirit? –Laziness?  –Procrastination? –Busy-ness? –Self-effort?  All of that!

The Word is clear, and all that is needed to benefit from it is to take the time to absorb it and do it (OBEY it) and these unpleasant reactions that cause hurt won’t happen. Here are some I will claim today:

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night” (Ps 1:2).

“Meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1Tim 4:15).

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Ps 25:10).

“Great peace have they which love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them” (Ps 119:165).

“I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).

-Linda Dianne