A Bold Promise!

April 28, 2026

Scripture

“The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.  The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.”  Psalm 37:30-31

A Bold Promise!

Sometimes I think I am getting old!  Or, maybe I am just getting a bit cynical! 

Whether it is age or a bit of cynicism, I seem to ponder a few things more than I used to do. 

+I wonder why commonsense seems a bit more rare than I remember. 

+I wonder why wisdom seems a bit more illusive than it used to be. 

+I wonder why justice seems a bit more of a dream than it once was.

+I wonder why joy seems a bit more scarce than I once believed.

+I wonder why love seems a bit more tarnished than I once hoped.

As David was reflecting on his life and faith as well as the present state of affairs in his kingdom and in the world, I imagine his age (and maybe a little bit of cynicism!) had given him some perspective.  In Psalm 37:30-31 David writes; “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.  The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.”

David had learned that it is the righteous people (those who love the Lord God) who will share words of wisdom and speak up for justice.  They will speak these words on behalf of the Lord God as they seek and grow in their understanding of the Word of God. 

The Word of God will reside in their hearts and continue to grow as their relationship with the Lord God continues to go deeper.  In Psalm 37:31 David tells us “The law of their God is in their hearts…”  If we are to speak wisdom into the lives of other people, God’s Word will need to reside in our heart.  If we are to speak up for justice on behalf of other people, God’s Word will need to take root in our heart.

For 70 years beginning about 600 BC, the Israelite people were living as refugees in Babylon.  There was oppression, there was separation from their homeland, and there was precious little faith and hope in the Lord God.  The Lord God speaks a word of encouragement and hope to the Israelites through a preacher by the name of Jeremiah.  The Lord God’s promise to these refugees was the future would be filled with hope and the presence of the Lord God.

The Lord God tells the Israelite people that He is going to establish a new relationship (i.e., a new covenant) with them.  This new relationship is described in Jeremiah 31:33-34.  Jeremiah tells us the Lord God says;

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”

In the sixth century before Christ is born, the Lord God makes a bold promise to His people and to every person who chooses to trust and obey Him today.

The Lord God tells His people that His law (or Word!) will be written on their hearts; it will live within them!  This new relationship with the Lord God will be one in which all the people will know the Lord God and the Lord God will be their god.  This new relationship will begin when the Lord God shows the depth of His love by forgiving their sin; the sin which caused the people’s separation from the Lord God.

The law of the Lord God, the Word of the Lord God, and the love of the Lord God fills the hearts of those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul.  The presence of the Lord God with me and inside of me is the place from which flows my words of wisdom and my speaking up for justice.

You have the opportunity to share words of wisdom with other people.  And, you have the opportunity to speak up for justice in the lives of other people.  These opportunities will be given to those who love the Lord God and are open to the work of the Holy Spirit in them and through them.

David learned this lesson earlier in this life.  In Psalm 37:30-31 he writes; “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.  The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.”  Here is one of the great promises of the Lord God; with the law and Word of God living in our hearts, we can make a difference in our world by sharing words of wisdom and speaking up for justice.

Jeremiah reminds us this kind of relationship all begins with the Lord God forgiving our sin so we can live in a new covenant/relationship with the Lord God. 

Reflect

Is there a secret sin lingering in your heart that is causing some separation in your relationship with the Lord God?  Are you ready to be forgiven by the Lord God today?  Do you trust the Word of God in Psalm 37 that says the Lord God living in you will provide you the opportunity to share a word of wisdom with another person?  Is the Word of God living in you providing you the opportunity to speak up for justice in the life of a person who knows no hope of justice today? 

Pray

Lord God, I confess I have never really seen myself as being a mouthpiece for your wisdom in the lives of other people.  I confess I have often hesitated to speak up for justice in the life of another person because I was afraid.  Forgive me for my hesitation and fear.  Restore in me the confidence you and your Word live in my heart.  Remind me that when I share what is in my heart, the lives of other people will be changed.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Act

Do a careful and prayerful inventory of your heart, mind, and soul to discern whether there is any secret sin taking up residence inside of you.  Ask Jesus whether that secret sin is getting in the way of sharing a word of wisdom of someone in your network of friends.  Inquire of the Holy Spirit whether that secret sin is an obstacle standing in the way of speaking up for justice in the life of another person.