A Psalm 39 Mask

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada wondering if you’re still wearing a mask?

You know, among the many things that we will never forget about the year 2020 is the ubiquitous mask. ’Cause they’re everywhere. Masks are in the car and on the dashboard, the glove compartment. They are on the end table, the kitchen counter, and the hutch in the dining room. They’re in your handbag. They are in a pile on top of the clothes dryer. They’re everywhere. Well, as the year closes out, my pastor, Bob Bjerkaas, has a few reflections on these many masks…

He says, “They’re uncomfortable. They make your glasses fog up. The straps chafe behind your ears. All this is particularly unfortunate because they are required [when you are] out and about in public. Going shopping? Don’t forget your mask – you won’t be allowed into the store without it! Going out to dinner? Bring your mask there. Going to church? Masks required. And should you be so unfortunate as to forget to put your mask on, prepare for our oh-so-polite culture’s stare downs and passive-aggressive commentary!”

But then, Pastor Bob adds an important lesson. He says, “The one thing that I appreciate about masks is the way they remind me to be careful of what comes out of my mouth. In Psalm 39:1 David says, ‘I will guard my ways, that I might not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle.’ Much like the purpose for our 2020 masks, the purpose for King David’s muzzle was very simple – keep bad stuff from leaving your mouth.”

And that’s good advice from my pastor as I head into a new year. Because reflecting back on this year, there have been more than many times my words have been hurtful, even destructive. Coronavirus was like a vice grip, a c-clamp as it were, that got tighter and tighter as months wore on. We expected it to be over in June, and if not that, then July. Then people said August. Then it was September. And with each passing month, we felt more squeezed; we felt the pressure. And what do you do in pressuring situations? You let off steam. You say things you regret. I can’t tell you how many times I had to ask Ken for forgiveness for snapping at him, or getting snarky or impatient. The book of James had nailed me: on one hand, my tongue blessed, on the other, it wounded. I should have been wearing a mask to remind me to think twice before I spoke!

Well, as we head into 2021, you know what an N95 mask is, right? Well, Pastor Bob Bjerkaas is calling his a PS39 mask – in other words, a Psalm 39 mask. It’s going to be a reminder to guard his ways and words – and his mask will be his muzzle! And in the new year, there is something that’ll help you guard your words and ways. It is reading through the Bible in the new year together with me and my husband. Knowing God’s Word guards your words. And we will be starting tomorrow in Genesis chapter one, so visit joniradio.org today to download our reading schedule. And while you are there, don’t forget to pick up your gift, our pamphlet on the “Chronology of the Bible.” You’ll find it so helpful because our readings will follow the timeline of biblical events. Have you ever wondered about God’s design in the flow of the history of the Bible? Well, our pamphlet on the chronology of the Bible explains it all. So, visit joniradio.org today so you can start reading with us tomorrow. And, hey, put your Psalm 39 mask on, from all of us at Joni and Friends! And while doing it, have a Happy New Year!

© Joni and Friends

Chronology of the Bible

Follow the chronological timeline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation with this colorful, 14-page, pamphlet. Understand how over 200 key Bible characters, books and events fit within the larger story of God’s Word. A valuable resource for covering 2,200 years of biblical history at a glance!