Psalm 4, Psalm 12, Psalm 20, Psalm 25, Psalm 32, Psalm 38
Ryan: The heading in the chronological Bible for Psalm 12 is “Misuse of the gift of speech.” This brought to mind a tweet I saw on Twitter.com the other day: “‘God gave me two ears and one mouth, and I try to respect the ratio.’ -Charlie Crist” (cheeky_geeky). Another great quote is from Abraham Lincoln: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” We have a gift of speech here in this country that is increasingly being taken for granted. People don’t realize that just because they may have the freedom to say what is on their mind, it’s not always appropriate or constructive, or helpful for building others up. David wrote, “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue” (Psalm 12:2-3). While I enjoy our freedom of speech, sometimes I also wish I had the freedom to cut off every boastful tongue and deceptive lip.
Samantha: When I was younger I had a habit of telling on myself whenever did something I wasn’t supposed to. I hated being in trouble so I guess I figured it was better to get the problem out in the open in the hopes of a less severe punishment. After reading Psalm 32 I’m glad I didn’t keep any sin hidden! David’s description of what guilt does to your body sounds awful: he felt like his body was wasting away and his energy was sapped. When he confessed God forgave him and removed his guilt. “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him” (Psalm 32:2)!
