#152: On the Tip of My Tongue

“Why are you always so happy?” a new friend asked me. I stammered; not quite sure how to answer the question. I could not form my words. I knew the Lord was the reason for my joy. She had noticed the joy, but she did not know the source. She wanted to know. I wanted to share with her but the words just would not come. What I wanted to say was on the tip of my tongue, but I just could not get them to form into a good response. Honestly, I cannot remember what I told her, but I know there was not any substance that pointed her toward the Lord. In this instance, I was not ready and His words were not in my mouth.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2 Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

I am sure you have said the phrase, “It’s on the tip of my tongue.” This phrase is uttered when you can’t quite remember a name or a word, but you know, if given a moment, your brain will catch up with your mouth and you will remember. In the situation with my new friend, His word was on the “tip of my tongue”, but not “in” my tongue. My brain, and heart were not ready to share His good news with someone. Sadly.

I truly wish I had the words for her that day. I knew she was struggling with life and with her children. Life for her seemed arduous. She was not happy. She really needed to know that the Lord that could bring her rest and assurance. My lack of words on that day has motivated me to be sure that I have words for the next one that needs to be introduced to the Lord.

As I explored the Bible reading for today, I found the Lord teaching me how I can make sure His words are in my mouth so that I am ready to speak for Him.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Psalm 119:135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.

Thinking on the verses from Psalms, the vision of God’s face shining upon your face is a sweet and tender picture that depicts a loving and kind relationship where you are intently focused on His loving face with a desire to learn all He has to teach you.

Can you talk about what you have read in your Bible? Many people share if they have read a good book, and suggest that you pick up a copy. However, the Bible is different. You can have a relationship with the author! You could share your experience of what you read and the conversation you had. Just think about all the words that would be in your tongue regarding what God showed you in your Bible. You can speak about it because you have experienced it. I recognize that I was not ready with an answer because I was not regularly in my Bible and was not having close conversations with my Lord.

Proverbs 1:8-9 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

In order for the Lord’s words to be in my mouth, I need to be living out His principles on a constant basis. It is not enough to hear them or even just read about them. I need to live them and apply them to my life. Sometimes I think we try to live a life for Christ “on accident.” We approach it with an attitude that a Christian behavior is something that magically happens, and then we are disappointed when we remain unchanged. We have to take His direction from His word and, little by little, on purpose, make changes. Once we will see tangible benefits from following His word, we will have something to tell others about. We will be able to tell of His power to change lives. If we live life accidently, we will have nothing to talk about because nothing has happened.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

So, to have God’s words in your tongue takes using his word to make changes in your life. It takes a personal relationship with Him, and it takes faith. Once you are living a life that is sensitive to Him, God will give you the words to speak. He will place the words in your mouth that the other person needs to hear. You must have faith that He will do this. I realize that evidence of Christ in me does not happen just because I am a Christian. It happens because I am near to Him, listening to Him, applying what He says, and seeing Him as my friend. In this state, I can have his words in my tongue to share with others.

2 Samuel 23, 24
Psalms 119:129-144
Proverbs 1
Hebrews 11

Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:

Lord, has there been a time when I was not ready with an answer?

Lord, am I daily in your word and having conversations with you so that I am ready?

Lord, am I living a life that allows you to change me for the better?

Lord, I want to be ready with an answer. I want to have experiences that I can share with others.

If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations, consider purchasing the devotional book, Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 1 or Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 2. Book 3 is coming soon! They are available from Amazon by clicking on the titles above.