Thursday, August 9, 2012

Psalms 15:1-3

"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour."
Psalms 15:1-3


This is an interesting one.  Abiding in God's tabernacle or dwelling on his holy hill is probably a reference to heaven... or Millennial Zion perhaps.  Either way, definitely something to aspire to.  And how do we get there?  By speaking the truth in our hearts. :)  ... That's pretty cool.  I think if we all spoke more plain truth, the world would be a better place.  It seems like, so often, instead of just speaking the truth, we are on the defensive, trying to tailor our message to a hostile audience... or an audience that we would like to convince of something, or manipulate into doing something.  I like verse 3 added on here, making it very clear that speaking the truth in our hearts is not telling people that they have big butts, or that, yes, indeed, those outfits DO make them look fat.
So what *is* the truth in our hearts?  A good question, and I think it might depend on the heart, but what it makes me think of is Moroni 6:5, which talks about the people of the church meeting together "to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls."  ...instead of treating life as a competition about who can outwardly look the most righteous... or the coolest, or have the most power, or get his or her way... or whatever it is that we are competing about, perhaps some straight talk about who we really are underneath, who we hope to become, and what our opinions really are is warranted.  How often in life do we feel like we have to hide our true selves, or only reveal the parts of them that work to our advantage?  Do people know who we really are?  Do they know of our faith, or our true motivations?  And again, verse 3 shows us that it isn't just about blurting out anything that crosses our minds... but after careful consideration, speaking what we think is true, in the proper context.  Focusing on the good in others, and helping and lifting each other.  ... Today, let's ponder the truth in our hearts.  Let's talk about those things with God.  And as we discuss them with him, and think about those truths in the context of other people.  Can we talk to other people about what we truly believe, in a way that won't harm others?  I think there is always a way.  And if not, perhaps we need to adopt some lovelier beliefs. :)

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