His Name On Our Tongue

                           
Ever go through a season of life that STINKS? Stinks I tell you! I believe we all have or are. Recently I was reading through the Psalms and came across a verse that jumped out at me, now THAT literally is the ‘living’ word. The author, Heman the Ezrahite was NOT a happy camper, and his season was ‘a stinkin’. It wasn’t necessarily his agony or frustration that captured me, though some resonated, it was his phrase “Jehovah qara yom shatah kaf.” The NIV translates it “… I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.” ~ Psalm 88:9

As I meditated on that, it is my attempt to never take a verse out of context. HOWEVER.  The Lord seem to take my face in His hands and whisper these words to me, “If the Lord’s name is on my tongue, then I am focused, if my hands are raised and open to Him, I am surrendered.”

The Holy Spirit now having my attention, I thought of my own struggles, and I don’t know about you, but when I am frustrated, and not a happy camper, I get cranky, moody, and to be honest, people can really drive me NUTS! Perhaps I am alone in this (yes, I am fishing for an AMEN, sister!)

I need to be more aware of what is on my tongue, is it kindness, encouragement, love, regardless of the season I am in. It is easy to have a soft voice to those I love, but what about the checker at the store, the gas attendant… I am persuaded that God is pleased and honored when kindness is the fragrance of my breath to others, just as if… “I am calling to Him”.

God is SO honored by my shoulder to shoulder worship of Him in the congregation, yet does He want MORE?  I can be face down in total awe of Him enjoying His presence so divine, but does He want MORE?  If my hands are spread and open to Him, that means they are empty. Empty handed is the key to availability… surrendered to His day.  Am I available to be used of Him in another’s life? The word Heman uses in the Hebrew, means to extend or stretch.  Do I take the time and extend myself to hold the door for the elderly lady? Stop and pick up that plastic bottle sitting one foot from the trash can? Do I stretch out my arms and hug someone that I am not really THAT fond of but know they are hurting. My hands loving others is indeed … spread out to Him… in honor. When doing so, I think my ‘camper’ status changes, from frustrated to delight.
 
“I call to you, O LORD, everyday; I spread out my hands to you.”  I do not know Hemans outcome, but I am thankful for his honesty and his deep desire for God.  As the saying goes, “if you want a friend – BE a friend.”  If we want to crawl out of our pit, turn, look up, call to God, turn and offer a hand to another!  Help change someone elses camper status.  Loving God, being HIS conduit of love and power to another.

 May His name be on our tongue, our hands raised and surrendered.

In Him, DeDe (‘Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds’ ~ Hebrews 10:24)