Don’t we all desire to live a life that is good?
Here’s a very rich text from Psalm 34:11-14 (ESV) which tells us what we should do to see good [טוֹב (tov)] which is also synonymous to welfare, prosperity, and happiness:
11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
How to keep your tongue from evil?
- do not slander with your tongue (Psalm 15:3)
- do no evil to your neighbor (Psalm 15:3)
- take up no reproach against your friend (Psalm 15:3)
- guard your ways (Psalm 39:1)
- guard your mouth (Psalm 39:1)
- but if you find it difficult, ask the Lord to guard your mouth (Psalm 141:3)
Benefits of guarding your mouth
- you preserve your life
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Proverbs 13:3 (ESV)
- you keep yourself out of trouble
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
Proverbs 21:23 (ESV)
How to turn away from evil
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV
What does the pursuit of peace look like?
- you aim for mutual upbuilding
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Romans 14:19 ESV
- you live peacably with all
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18 ESV
jessa 