O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15
Glancing in the mirror, my face looked every bit the tired grandma, or “Mimi” as my grands know me. It had been a great, but tiring evening with four of my grandchildren – ages six months to ten-years-old. The squirming, jabbering-in-her-sleep six-month-old in the playpen at the foot of our bed had not made for a restful night.
Now breakfast was over, Grandpa was in charge of cartoons in the family room, and I was brushing Chaya’s hair in the master bath. As my precious (and precocious) three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter gazed up at my face in the mirror – her large almond-shaped hazel eyes were filled with loving adoration (at least that’s how I read it); my heart swelled to almost bursting.
Then she asked, “Mimi, why do you look so old?”
Holding in laughter, I said, “Chaya, why did you say that? Did you want to make “Mimi” feel bad?”
“Oh no, Mimi!”
“Did you want to hurt my feelings?”
“Oh no, Mimi!”
Smiling, I asked, “Then why did you say that?”
My beautiful, little darling then said,
“It was in my mouth, and it had to come out!”
The laughter exploded, as I hugged my sweet girl, “You are so right! Mimi really does look old this morning!”
“It was in my mouth, and it had to come out!” Those words have been often repeated over the years bringing laughing reminders of our little granddaughter.
Do you, like me, find there are times when something is …so exciting, so stirring, so remarkable, so monumental …that it wells up inside of you, pushing its way to your lips, and before you know it – IT’S OUT!? You said it! It was just too big to contain, and it simply had to come out
I love that the New Testament tells us of people so radically changed by an encounter with Jesus that they could not contain the good news of the Gospel of Christ – it was in their mouth, and it had to come out.
There are too many to list them all, but here are a few:
- Jesus gave sight to two blind men, and warned them to tell no one; “and they went away and spread His fame through all that district.” Matthew 9:27-31
- Jesus healed the leper and told him to tell no one; the man couldn’t contain himself and told everyone what Jesus had done for him. Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-15
- Freed from demon-possession, the man of Gerasenes went into the city and proclaimed what Jesus had done for him. Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
- Jesus healed a deaf man, then charged the healed man and the witnesses to the miracle to tell no one. The man and the witnesses could not contain themselves and zealously proclaimed what Jesus had done. Mark 7:36, 37
- Jesus raises the widow’s son from the dead. “Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying. ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’ And this report about Him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.” Luke 7:11-17
- The conversion of Zacchaeus led him to proclaim his salvation and to restore to all what had been defrauded. Luke 19:1-10
- Jesus and the Samaritan woman “Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” John 4:1-42
- Jesus healed a man born blind, who bravely gave testimony before the religious courts “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:1-41
IT WAS IN THEIR MOUTHS, AND IT HAD TO COME OUT!
Dear Friend, you may say that there have been no miracles in your life, so you’ve got nothing to talk about. Please think again. If you are a believer, a follower of Christ, Romans 5:1-11 is a wonderful reminder of all that you have in Christ Jesus. Carefully read and think through this list taken from the passage in Romans 5. By the time you finish, you should have more than enough to fill your spirit and your mouth – let this good news be in your mouth and let it come out!
- You are justified by the grace of God.
- You have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
- You are standing in the grace of God.
- You can be joyful in the hope of the glory of God.
- You can rejoice even in trials and sufferings, knowing that your endurance is being built, endurance produces character, character develops hope, and hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
- In Christ Jesus we have been justified, redeemed, and reconciled.
And finally, Jesus commissioned His followers, including us, to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mar 16:15
Let the miraculous gift of your salvation, the transforming power of God’s Holy spirit, and the eternal hope you have in Christ Jesus, fill your heart and your mouth so completely that you can not contain yourself and you must say, as my sweet Chaya did,
“It was in my mouth and it had to come out!”
“My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.”
Psalm 71:8
HERE’S A QUESTION FOR YOU?
What is one praise that you will share with someone today? Please share it in the comments!