Guard my lips

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
² Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

³ Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.
⁴ Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.

⁵ Let the godly strike me!
It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it.
But I pray constantly
against the wicked and their deeds.
⁶ When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,
the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
⁷ Like rocks brought up by a plow,
the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.

⁸ I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord.
You are my refuge; don’t let them kill me.
⁹ Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do wrong.
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
but let me escape.

When was the last time your mouth got you into trouble? This psalm is a reminder to me that words spoken without thought and restraint can lead to a whole lot of trouble. It seems to me the psalmist is facing a situation where there is a lot he would like to say but he recognises that may not be the best plan of action. Instead, the psalmist’s positions himself in the presence of God as a priority, then acknowledges his words have the power to destroy him or spare him. In a culture where it is fashionable to speak your mind- maybe this is a timely reminder that HOW I speak my mind is crucial. But the wrong words at the wrong time can be like throwing a hand grenade into a situation. The psalmist asked God for wisdom on this front, with the image of security posted on his mouth! Verses 3 and 4 point to the correlation between our inner thoughts and how they are revealed in our words. The psalmist knows that getting his ‘inner man’ right with God first goes a long way to ensuring the right words come out of his mouth. Are we committed to living the same way?

Heavenly Father, may all I say and do bring glory to your name and life to those around me. I pray for wisdom to know when to keep my mouth firmly shut and when to speak. Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy in my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Written by Christine Knight