23 July 2023 – What have I learned today?
Proverbs Chapter 17: Verse 27 (NIV Translation)
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
Psalm 141: Verse 3(NIV Translation)
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
I’ve noticed that when really small children are excited to share news with you, they can sometimes speak really quickly and the words come tumbling out in a rush. To make sense of what they are trying to tell us we often tell them to slow down. Equally frustrating sometimes is the person who butts in on a conversation, especially if they have missed the beginning of it. We all like to put forward our point of view, but sometimes we need to pay heed to the check in our spirit that is telling us to hold our tongue. That’s not always an easy thing to do, but its better than regretting what we might have said in the spur of the moment. Likewise, losing our temper isn’t the best way of putting our point across. I’ve heard it said that if you lose your temper, you lose the argument.
For someone like me who can talk for Scotland, it’s sometimes hard to restrain my words. But David shows us what to do in such instances. He prays that God would put a guard on his mouth. In difficult and trying circumstances to save us from saying something we might later regret, that needs to be our prayer too.
Dear Lord,
I know that I can be guilty of speaking before I consider the consequences. Help me to heed the Holy Spirit’s direction, but please also put a guard over my mouth so that I can be restrained when You want me to be. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.