Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
When we read the Psalms we see the heart of the man who was after God's own heart. This is not by accident, I believe God allowed David to pass through so many trials and afflictions to reveal the contents of David's heart. Our above verse shows the desires of a heart that is set on the Lord.
The mouth and the heart are as closely related as the hand and the arm, one is simply an extension of the other, "for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Our mouths are the bucket and our heart is the well, a mouth that is constantly spewing out bitterness and hate, strife and envy, accusation and contempt is being drawn from a heart that is full of those things. Likewise, a mouth that is forgiving, kind, gentle, truthful, and gracious is connected to a heart that is all those things. At times even the purest and deepest wells can get contaminated, so what do we do when a good well is contaminated? We stop drawing water from it until the problem has been resolved.
Trials and afflictions like David passed through tend to contaminate our hearts. Satan comes by with some poisonous lie about a brother or sister and all of his lies and questioning are leading ultimately to the point where gets you to think God is a liar and to begin questioning Him. He reminds us of hurts, and wrongs done to us and our hearts sour and become bitter. What do we do? We can't help what we feel or even how we are tempted. I believe this prayer shows us a twofold answer to an imbittered heart.
One, Pray. This is a prayer of David. Lord, I need your help controlling my tongue. Like you set flaming swords in the garden of Eden set your guard at my lips that no displeasing thing passes out. Our tongue is a little member, but like a horses bit and a ship's rudor, it has the ability to do great good or great damage. We can't control it in our power, but we have a Saviour who was tempted in all points without sin. Look how he kept his tongue in Pilot's court, before the Sanhedrin, and in Herod's temple. He kept his tongue like no other man ever has and he alone can "Succour us" in our hour of temptation.
Secondly, we can close our mouths. When our heart is bitter it is better to leave the bucket in the well. Proverbs tells us "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards." Only a fool utters every doubt, every accusation, every hurt, every curse that appears in our hearts. Some of those things should not be allowed passage. The heart is desperately wicked and the mouth is the door that permits what passes out into the world and what remains between us and the Lord. So, if there is bitterness, keep it between you and the Lord, if there is accusation keep it between you and the Lord. Often we want to talk to someone about these hurtful things, to clear our hearts and we should, but be sure that person is the Lord, "Cast all your cares upon me," Said Jesus. He knows and he can clear your heart of that bitterness and open the well for business again.
Lord help us, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."
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