ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 PULELULU SEPITEMA 20

PLEASING WORDS AND MEDITATION

LEA MO E LOTO KE FAKAHOIFUA

 

PSALM 19:14

LET THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, O LORD. MY ROCK AND MY REDEEMER.

SAAME 19:14

‘E Sihova, ke hoko lelei ki ho ‘ao ‘a e ngaahi lea ‘a hoku ngutu ni, Mo e fakakaukau ‘a hoku loto, ‘A e ‘Afiona ko hoku Mo‘unga mo hoku Koeli!

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Ko e Saame 19, ko e saame momona ‘i he lea. Ko e loungutu faka-langi ‘oku ne fakalau e naunau ‘o e ‘Otua. Ko e ‘aho kotoa ‘oku taumalingi mai ‘a hono le’o. ‘Oku ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i he lau ta’anga ‘a e fakatupuu, ka ‘oku pehee pe mo e Folofola ‘a e ‘Otua. Ko e Lao, fakamo’oni, mo e ngaahi fekauu, ‘oku nau faka’aa ‘a e laumalie, fakafiefia’i ‘a e loto mo fakamaama ‘a e mataa. Mei he ngaahi palanite ki he Tohitapu, ko e le’o ‘o e ‘Otua ‘oku lulu e pou tuliki ‘o e ‘univeesi. ‘Oku aofangatuku ‘e Tevita ‘ene saame ‘aki ‘ene kole ke hoko ‘a e ngaahi lea ‘a hono ngutu mo ‘ene fakalaulaulotoo ke latesoni ‘i he fofonga mai ‘a e ‘Otua.  Ko e latesoni, ko e fakahoifua, lelei’ia, fiefia ke tali, hange ko e ngaahi feilaulau ‘oku ‘omi ki he ‘olita, ke hoko ko e “latesoni” kia Sihova (Levitiko 1:3). ‘I he potu tohi ‘e taha, ‘oku kole ‘e Tevita, ke hoko ‘ene lotu ko e ‘inisēnisi ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e ‘Otua (Saame 141:2), pea ‘i heni, ‘oku ne kole ke hoko ‘ene lea mo ‘ene fakalaulaulotoo ko ha feilaulau fakahoifua ki he ‘Otua. 

Na’e ‘ikai ko e lea pe mo e fakalaulauloto, ka ko hotau kotoa, ke fakahoifua ki he Tamai mo hono ‘Alo, "ke fanongonongo ‘a e ta‘u ‘o e latesoni [hōifua] ‘a e ‘Eiki" (‘Aisea 61:2; Luke 4:19). "Vakai mai, ko eni pē e taimi mātu‘aki tali hū; Vakai mai, ko eni pe ‘aho fai fakamo‘ui" (2 Kolinito 6:2), for now and forever, in Jesus, we are fully acceptable to the Father.

"Manatu ‘ofa mai, ‘Eiki, ‘o hangē ko ho‘o fai ki ho kakai; ‘A‘ahi kiate au ‘aki ho‘o fakamo‘ui" (Saame 106:4).

[ENGLISH]

Psalm 19 is rich in speech. Celestial lips recount God's glory. Day to day pours forth speech. Not only is creation loquacious, so is the Lord's Word. The Torah, testimony, and commandments revive souls, rejoice hearts, and enlighten eyes. From the solar system to the sacred scroll, words of God and about God reverberate. David concludes this psalm by asking that his mouth-words and heart-meditations be ratzon in the Lord's eyes. To be ratzon is to be pleasing, favorable, acceptable, like the sacrifices on the altar were the means by which the worshiper was "ratzon [accepted] before the LORD" (Lev. 1:3). As elsewhere David prays that his prayer be counted as incense before God (Ps. 141:2), so here he asks that his words and meditations be reckoned as an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord.

That not just our words and meditations, but all of who we are, be acceptable to the Father, his Son came to "proclaim the year of the LORD's ratzon" (Isa. 61:2; Luke 4:19). "Now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2), for now and forever, in Jesus, we are fully acceptable to the Father.

"Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people; Visit me with Your salvation" (Ps. 106:4 NASB)