Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. —Psalm 141:3
The presence of a guard indicates the possibility of danger. We don’t guard something that doesn’t need to be protected.
Notice where the guard is posted in Psalm 141:3. Not at the ear—to protect us from being hurt by words we might hear. Nor at the heart—to shield us from the wounds that are sometimes caused by what others do. Instead the psalmist asked God to post a sentinel at his own mouth knowing that the greatest danger he faced was not what others might do to him but rather what he might say that would harm others.
Our tongues can be dangerous weapons. Careless, harsh, or untimely words inflict pain on those who hear. Too often we let our words run unrestrained. Even though we may later regret our words, we can never take them back. Better to set a guard at our mouth, preventing the danger from getting loose, than trying furiously to “take back” words we never should have spoken in the first place.
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The Power of Words © 2003 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
What are some practical steps you can take to guard your words and control your tongue?