Today's Reading: Psalm 141 & 142

A Guard Over My Mouth

A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!  It only takes a spark to set off a forest fire. In the same way, a careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can set off a uproar. By your speech you can ruin people’s lives, turn harmony to chaos, or sully someone’s reputation.  The tongue is a powerful thing.

That’s why David prayed that the Lord would “watch over the door of my lips.”  He recognized that the words he speaks are important and have consequences.  Proverbs 15:23 tells us about positive words, “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!”  Contrast that with Proverbs 29:20 which says, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.”  Our words can be positive and uplifting, or they can be hasty and hurtful.  It is a paradox of human nature that the same tongue can be used for good and for evil.

We all need a guard over our mouth.  We need someone to watch over the door of our lips.  Why? Because we are all prone to hurtful words spoken in haste.  According to James 3, we all need to tame our tongue.  The problem is that, “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison”  (James 3:6). It is not enough to speak helpful words “most” of the time if we sometimes use our mouths for hurtful or evil things.  We need someone to keep watch over our lips.

Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit!  On your own, you are never going to be able to do anything to bring your tongue under control.  You are going to have to let the Holy Spirit do it for you!  One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to give us the right words to speak.  Luke 12:12 says, “The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.”  Stop trying to control your mouth in your own effort.  It is time to cry out to God and ask that He place a guard over your mouth.

Here’s how to control your tongue: pray this prayer from Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."  

Then, get out of the Holy Spirit's way and let Him keep watch over the door of your lips!