"Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."
Psalm 141:3
While praying his evening prayer, David realized that the same mouth and lips he spoke to God with as he prayed were the same mouth and lips that he used to talk with people, friends, and foe. He never wanted to be a hypocrite before God or man. This is why he asked God for help guarding his mouth.
“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth.”
David understood that his mouth could be used as an instrument of either good or evil. He knew that only good, sweet words should come from his mouth.
“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:11).
“The way the heart inclines the life soon tends: evil things desired bring forth wicked things practised [sic]. Unless the fountain of life is kept pure, the streams of life will soon be polluted” [1] (Spurgeon – EWC).
Wisely, David understood that his words and actions came from his heart. To be God’s kind of man, he needed God’s help with his thoughts, comments, and actions! As James also said –
“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13).
David was especially sensitive about his words when his enemies came around.
“The special point of the prayer is that he may be guarded from adopting the profane language of the ungodly men by whom he is surrounded” [2] (CB).
“Keep the door of my lips.”
How should we want God to help us with “the door of our lips?”
“That it move not creaking, and complaining, as on rusty hinges, for want of the oil of joy and gladness” [3] (Trapp – EWC).
At all times, we need God’s help with our speech. How much God cares for us!
“In times of persecution by ungodly men, we are peculiarly liable to speak hastily or evasively, and therefore we should be specially anxious to be preserved in that direction from every form of sin. How condescending is the Lord! We are ennobled by being door-keepers for Him, and yet He deigns to be a door-keeper for us” [4] (Spurgeon – TOD).
Quote: “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Provers 21:23).
[1] I borrowed Spurgeon’s quote from EWC – David Guzik. Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 141:4.
[2] CB – Cambridge Bible, the electronic Bible notes in eSword.
[3] I borrowed Trapp’s quote from EWC, ibid.
[4] TOD – C.H. Spurgeon. Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword.
Dear Readers, let me take a moment to thank the Lord for my dear wife. Garthea Rodebaugh married me forty-five years ago today! I could never express how she has blessed and bettered my life. If I had to do it all over, I would marry her again! “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22). Garthea, my Sweetart, is definitely my “good thing!” Thank you, Lord. And I love you dear! Forty-five and counting!