Ask the Lord to guard your tongue

By Dean Collins

🤐 Maybe you have used or seen this emoji when texting with friends, your children or your grandchildren. It might mean ‘be quiet’ or ‘your secret is safe with me.’ But today I want to suggest it is a good reminder of what Psalm 39:1 and James both had in mind in the first and third chapters of his little epistle. 

 Psalm 39:1 opens: “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” In other words, “Do whatever you have to so that you don’t sin with your words.” We all know people, and I suspect we might admit to having been one of those people, who just couldn’t hold back our words when someone said something that stirred us up. They might have lied, falsely accused, or spoken negatively about someone or something we care about. And try as we might, we just can’t seem to help ourselves from blurting something out in anger.

 Maybe David’s parents had told him the same thing some of us heard growing up: “If you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all.” David had worked so hard to keep from sinning with his words that he went to an extreme that may have kept him from speaking up with good and kind words.

 There are certainly plenty of things that go on in our world, at our jobs, and in the community that can stir up frustration and anger. James indicates that left to ourselves, we will not be able to keep control of our words. We need the help of the Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to possess goodness, kindness, and self-control. We cannot get to the right place with our tongues apart from God. It is not a bad prayer to ask the Lord to guard our tongues each day. Inviting God into our day and all our conversations will lead to much better outcomes!

 David seems to also realize that we only have so much time this side of eternity. He prayed that God would not only remind him about when to speak and not speak, but that God would also help him keep the activities of his life in perspective. We often get all worked up about things that won’t make any difference in the next week or in the future.

 We must remember that every day we make choices about how we spend our time. And choosing wisely might result not just in a better day but a transformed life. The kindness we show someone. The gift we give. The encouragement we provide. The loving truth of the gospel we reveal to someone at just the right moment might lead to transformation not just in the moment but for eternity.

 In the middle of this psalm, David acknowledged that his hope was not in the time he had on earth nor the wealth that could be accumulated. His hope was in the Lord. And to live in harmony with the Lord required that he be forgiven of all his transgressions. We can never pay for the sins we have committed. The good news is that Jesus paid for all our sins, allowing us to live in fellowship with God and with each other. Because of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit to guard our tongues and guide our lives.

 David indicates that he had and continued to experience turmoil and hostility from others. He needed God’s intervention in his situation, and he longed for, even prayed for, relief. All of us can relate to David’s situation as well. We sometimes end up in difficult situations that wear us down. 

 Sometimes God teaches or disciplines us with these hardships that we might learn to depend on him and him alone. We know from other psalms that David had a wide view of God’s love and grace and knew that in these times of discipline, hardship, and turmoil, we can and must cast our cares onto the Lord himself.

 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

Peter echoed the same in his epistle when he said, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Today as I begin this day I will pray:

Lord, guard my tongue so that I will not speak out in anger or revenge. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me to speak life and truth in kindness and love.

 Father, make me aware of the shortness of life and the little time I have here so that I will not waste it on things that do not matter. Help me to invest my time in people and in places that lead to eternal transformation.

 And finally, Lord, as I face difficulty and turmoil, I release my suffering into your hands. I will cast all my cares upon you.

 Be glorified in my words and behavior today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 39:1-13; James 1:19; James 3:5-12 ESV

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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