Psalm 141:3 - Our Speech Reveals Our Heart And Our Need For Christ.
Psalm 141:3 (NIV) Set a guard over my mouth,
O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 (NCV) Lord, help me control my
tongue; help me be careful about what I say.
INTRODUCTION
James wrote that "the tongue is a flame of
fire. It is a whole world of wickedness,
corrupting your entire body" (James 3:6). On the
average, a person opens his or her mouth
approximately 700 times a day to speak. David wisely asked
God to keep him from speaking evil - even as he
underwent persecution. Jesus himself was silent before
his accusers (Matthew 26:63). Knowing the power
of the tongue, we would do well to ask God to
guard what we say so that our words will bring
honor to his name. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
I enjoy watching NBC's Today Show as part
of my morning routine. One day, I heard news
anchor Craig Melvin share a story about riding the
elevator at work with a colleague. After noticing the
woman's round tummy, Melvin cheerfully asked her,
"So when are you due?" Much to his dismay, she
looked at him and replied, "I'm not pregnant."
Mortified by his gaffe, Melvin quickly exited the
elevator at the next stop - and it wasn't even his
floor.
I chuckled at the story, but I could
certainly relate. My mother often told me as a child,
"Think before you speak." But I still fall short of
always heeding that wise advice. How many times
have I said something and immediately wished I
could snatch back the words as soon as they left
my mouth? An unkind comment about a colleague.
Harsh criticism of my husband. Complaints about my
life. Words that have hurt others and reflected
badly on me as a Christian and, even worse, have
not glorified God.
James, the brother of Jesus, does not
mince words when he talks about the power of the
tongue: "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil
among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole
body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire,
and is itself set on fire by hell" (James 3:6,
NIV). Even King David asked the Lord to set a
guard over his mouth, as we see in Psalm 141:3.
And like David, I ask Jesus every day to be a
guard over my mouth too. Barbranda Lumpkins Walls
Faith Step: Do some quick thinking before
you speak. Before you make a comment, ask
yourself, Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
[Mornings With Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Do you ever look back on conversations
you've had and think, "Man, I can't believe I said
that!" or, "Wow, I thought I was being so funny,
but it backfired big time. I really hurt my
friend'? Most of us have plenty of cringe-worthy
moments that we wish we could take back. Sometimes
we speak without thinking first, and other
times we don't realize the way our words reveal
the motives of our hearts.
If you want to build stronger
relationships with those around you, then you will have to
ask God to guide your words. I love today's
verse because it gives me comfort to imagine God
placing a guard beside my lips to prevent me from
saying things that don't honor the Lord.
He's committed to helping us control what
we say when we focus on him and his Word. If
you ask God to help you with what you say, then
you can relax and trust that his Spirit will
guide you. There might be a second where you pause
to think about the impact your next words will
have on the person hearing them. Or you may not
talk nearly as much as you once did. Remember,
our words communicate more than what they're
literally saying. They reveal who's in control of our
heart.
Lord, I know that you want me to bless
and build up others with my words. Guard my lips
and give me your power to control what I say.
[Daily Power by Craig Groeschel]
How does God help us manage our mouth? By
going directly to the source: the heart.
Have you ever said, I dont know
what got into me - Im not that kind of
person? Well, the truth is, it wouldnt be coming
out of your mouth if it wasnt in your heart
first.
In other words, its not your mouth
that gets you in trouble; its your heart! The
stuff thats inside of you is what comes out.
The Bible says, Whatever is in your heart
determines what you say (Matthew 12:34 NLT).
Your words demonstrate your hearts
condition. That means that someone with a harsh tongue
is demonstrating an angry heart. Someone who
brags a lot is revealing an insecure heart.
A person who is overly talkative has an
unsettled heart. Critical words reveal a bitter
heart.
On the other hand, when you share
encouraging words with others, it reveals a joyful
heart. When you offer gentle words to people when
theyre down, it shows youve got a loving heart.
If you say kind and comforting words to
people, it shows youve got a heart of peace. What
you say shows what youre like on the inside.
Contamination can only be eliminated at
the source. When God helps you control your
mouth, he changes you from the inside out.
God specializes in heart transplants and
is ready to transform anyone who comes to him,
no matter what has happened in their past.
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
There is no real secret to changing from
an angry person into a peaceful person. In
order to get the power you need to go from anger
to peace, you need to be filled with Gods
love.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:5,
"[Love] is not easily angered" (NIV). In other
words, if youre filled with anger, then almost
everything can upset you. But when youre filled with
Gods love your perspective changes.
Being filled with Gods love requires
that you have a relationship with him. Your
relationship with Jesus Christ will determine how patient
you are and how well you master anger.
This means you can change. You can do it
through the Holy Spirit! When you become a
Christian, you have Gods power living in you. Even
in a crisis - when people are out of work, kids
are at home, and people are in isolation - you
have all the power you need to make the hard
changes in your life.
And it starts by looking at your heart.
Matthew 12:34 says, "For whatever is in your heart
determines what you say" (NLT).
Here are some things the tongue can
reveal:
A harsh tongue reveals an angry
heart.
A negative tongue reveals a
fearful heart.
A boasting tongue reveals an
insecure heart.
An overactive tongue reveals an
unsettled heart.
A judgmental tongue reveals a
guilty heart.
A critical tongue reveals a bitter
heart.
If your tongue reveals an angry heart,
then ask God to heal your hurting heart with his
love. The anger in your heart may come from
feeling rejected, abused, or unloved in the past.
You need to know that Jesus cares about your
pain. He can replace the hurt in your heart with
his peace and replace your insecurity with his
power.
As you begin to feel accepted in Gods
love, your heart will change and produce the fruit
of patience and kindness. God promises, I
will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I
will put within you (Ezekiel 36:26 ESV).
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/ re Mat. 12:34]
CLOSING PEARL
Ever left a conversation feeling cheated
because it was so one-way that you might as well
have not been present? Maybe you know someone who
has a habit of cutting people off midsentence so
they can offer their own opinions on a subject.
Or someone who rattles on with one personal
story after another, without giving anyone else a
chance to share. Whew! Some conversations can leave
us feeling exhausted after trying so hard to
jump in.
We have good reasons to ask the Lord to
guard our mouths. We also have to control our
mouths if we want to develop good listening skills.
When we listen well to others, it communicates
respect and shows them we care. Jesus demonstrated
the power of being an effective listener. People
felt comfortable sharing their needs and sorrows
with Him: Martha and Mary after their brother,
Lazarus, died and the woman cured of a long-term
bleeding illness. People also felt emboldened to ask
Him questions: the Samaritan woman at the well,
a Jewish ruler named Nicodemus, His
disciples.
Our failure to listen patiently to others
can make us miss out on so much: the chance to
make a new friend or deepen an existing
relationship, the opportunity to encourage a fellow
believer, or the chance to share Jesus with someone
who needs to hear about Him. Even worse, if this
inability carries over to our prayer lives, we may
miss out on hearing that still, small voice. Yes,
a guard over my mouth is something I need for
sure. by Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: How can you improve your
listening skills? Ask Jesus to help you imitate Him in
this area. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional
by Guideposts and Zondervan]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
James 3:8 - We Need Christ For Speech
Control.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20081204-1031.html
James 3:8 - How To Tame The Tongue. Part 1
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090608-0827.html
James 3:8 - How To Tame The Tongue. Part 2
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090609-0821.html
Colossians 4:6 - Speaking with Grace
Seasoned with Salt.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180428-1514.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
