INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
20th Jan 2021
Our lives consist of “inputs”, what we hear and what we receive in our thoughts and feelings, and “outputs”, what we say and do as a result. That is what David was doing as he wrote Psalm 19, and that is what we need to do as we embark on each day.
Verse 1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” We awake to God’s faithfulness at the start of each day. It is good to begin the day with thanksgiving and gratitude for all the blessings God has showered upon us down through the years. Noah was assured of God’s faithfulness to him when He was promised, “Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Then David begins to appreciate the dynamic of God’s word in his life, verses 7 and following say, “The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul…the commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes…..they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb….in keeping them there is great reward.” I make it a practice of reading through the Bible every year, and each day as I read I expect it to experience the things David said here. I have made it a habit to mark the Bible with various colours as I am reading, not because I was deprived as a child, but to aid concentration.
David then prays that he will be kept from wilful sins and live a blameless life, but then goes on the speak about the “outputs”. Verse 14 says, “May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
The effect of good “inputs” will be that the “outputs” will be positive, faith building and encouraging. In Hebrews 10:24 it says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
In this time of isolation it is so easy to listen to the wrong stuff and find ourselves feeling miserable. So if we make sure we have the right “inputs” we will find ourselves reaching out to express love and encouragement to those around - good “outputs”.
by Charles Sibthorpe
