Thoughts on these Verses

Psalms 34:12-13

12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

13  keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

Thoughts on This Verse....

God reminds us that our words and the way we use our speech greatly impact the quality of life we enjoy. Nothing cuts short a vibrant life like evil speech and lies we tell. They set loose a force of deception and damage that we cannot control. This unleashed power not only damages those about whom and to whom we speak, but they eventually boomerang and come back and bring their deadly payload back into our own lives. Let's be people who speak what is right, good, wholesome, holy, true, and a blessing. (cf. Ephesians 4:20-5:12)

Psalms 34:14

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Thoughts on This Verse....

It is not enough to turn from evil. We can clean the putrid things out of our life, but if we do not actively pursue what is good then a worse evil will rush into the void. (cf. Mat. 12:43-45) Let's be a people eager to do good and with a passion to "wage peace."

Psalms 34:15  

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;

Thoughts on This Verse....

We are righteous because of God's grace. We are remembered because of God's faithfulness. We are heard because of God's faithfulness. We are blessed because God is God.

Psalms 34:16  

The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Thoughts on This Verse....

God hates violence and demands that we not admire those who are violent or share in their violent lifestyle. (Prov. 3:31) God abhors those who do evil. God not only opposes them when they are alive, he also mitigates their influence after they are gone. He helps them be seen for what they really are. Far from being viewed as heroes, their legacy of hate and wickedness is spurned, shunned, scandalized, and forgotten.