Set a Guard over My Mouth

 Many times in my life I have said things that I wish I could have taken back. As soon as I said them, I knew those words were going to cause me to have trouble. Also, I have said things that were damaging to other people, but if I would have stopped to think first, I would not have said them. That is the power of the tongue and the reason we need help with it.

David knew very well the effect of words on others and how he could be hurt himself by his own words. Therefore, he prayed to the Lord. (Psalm 141:3) "Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door to my lips." His prayer shows a lot of wisdom, and we would all do well to sincerely pray this prayer every day. If we do, I believe, God will answer our prayer.

In  James 3 we are told that the tongue is a fire which is set on fire by hell. James assured us that no man can tame the tongue. Only God can tame our tongue. That is why we need to cry out to God to set a guard over our mouth. We need to admit our inability to stop from saying the wrong things and implore Him to intervene for us.

When God helps us in this way, we have time to think before we speak. God nudges us by His Spirit, and we know to take time to consider what to say, instead of just blurting it out. We have to go through the door to our lips God is watching, and that makes us more careful about what we will say. Remember, it is so much better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing. Let's take David's wisdom to heart.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 143-145.