Seeking to Please God

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Ps. 19:14).

In this verse, David reminds us of the heart-mouth connection. The heart is another term for inner man. Jesus tells us, "For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:45; Luke 6:45; see also Mark 7:20-23). The heart is the source of problems. As Jeremiah reminds us the heart "deceitful above all things" and "beyond cure" (see Jer. 17:9-10).

If the meditations of our heart are to be pleasing to the Lord, then we have to begin with a new heart. The Lord is the source of our new heart (see Ezek. 36:25-29). The Bible calls it a lot of things: circumcision of the heart, new birth, or putting on Christ to name a few. The important thing is that we become new creatures (see 2 Cor. 5:17).

Once we have come to the Lord in faith, we have to determine to please the Lord. Like David, we have to make pleasing the Lord the central focus of our lives.

The next step is to follow through. David had determined to please God, and he took kept at it. He fixed his mind on God, so that the ordinary things of life drew him into praising God. David's prayer was for the right thoughts that led to the right words.

Finally, we must rest in God. David called on the LORD, the God of the covenant. He was expressing his faith in God's faithfulness. He looked to God as his Rock, a source of strength and shelter. He saw God as his Redeemer ready to rescue him.

David gives us a good framework for seeking to please God. He reminds us that God desires a pure heart, and that only God can give us that heart. How do you seek to please God?