"May the words of my mouth ..."

A beautiful scene in this episode of The Chosen. A mute man is healed and can speak again. Wow. Imagine that—you haven’t been able to speak for years. You don’t even really know what “speaking” is. Sure, you see others do it, you (maybe) hear it too, but you can’t do it yourself.

Want to share a thought? Bring out the writing board.
A meaningful conversation? Nah… really participating is still complicated.

Always that distance.
Always that obstacle.
Always that silence.

And then you encounter Jesus, and He heals you. You don’t know how He did it, but what you know is unmistakable: you can speak! The distance and barriers are gone. You can join in. You can express yourself. Wow.

Can you imagine what this man must have felt?

What touched me in this episode was the question Jesus asks next: “Where would you like to start?” It’s as if Jesus is very deliberately extending the invitation. Like, “Hey, now that you can speak, what words do you want to say?” What would you like to say?

And then come words of worship. Recognition. Jesus is the Messiah. How wonderful is that?

Of course, this scene isn’t presented exactly like this in the Bible, but it holds an important lesson for us. What words do you speak?

You’re probably not “mute” and can speak normally, but you still have the same choice. Every single day. What words do you want to say? What will you choose?

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.”

Words of worship.
Words of thanks.
Words of prayer.
Words of recognition.
Words of comfort.
Words of encouragement.
Words of justice.
Words of protection.
Words of life.

What words do you speak?

What will you choose today?

Take these questions with you to reflect on:

• How would others describe the way you speak/your words?
• How do you want to speak? What kinds of words do you want to define you?
• What challenge do you find in today’s passage?

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, may the words of my mouth … be pleasing to You. Let my words worship and magnify You, Lord. Let my words be words from You for others. Words of encouragement and comfort. Words of life. Words that reveal Your loving character. Words that correct in a way that is truly ‘Jesus-like.’ Lord, may the words of my mouth be Your words. Amen.”

P.S. This is the last day of this Reading Plan. We hope it has helped you as a follower of Jesus and that you have enjoyed it.

The materials in this Reading Plan come from Alongsiders, an European discipleship movement, and Jesus.net.

Of course, there is much more to discover! Do you want to take the next step? Do you have a heart for discipleship and do you want to know more about how to follow Jesus together with others? Visit our website.