A GUARD OVER YOUR LIPS

Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

When a prisoner escapes under custody, it is a big deal. We can thus cast our minds to the story of the jailer in the Acts of the Apostles who nearly took his own life for fear that his prisoners had escaped. Guards are often placed over things and people that are either deemed valuable, unpredictable, or intended to be held unto at all costs.

A guard is recruited as a safeguard, and a form of management against tendencies and potential mishaps. So it is interesting that of all things, the Psalmist requests for God to set guards on his mouth, and to keep watch at the door of his lips.

We can go back to the beginning to identify the weight of words When God restored order from chaos with ‘words’. Words are therefore building blocks that require careful monitoring because while they are creative, they could also be destructive. A closed mouth in some cases is not one you can afford because you need to be positioned to speak into situations and circumstances. On the other hand, a loose and unbriddled tongue is a recipe for disaster.

So let’s make the prayer of the Psalmist our own’: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly “.

#sly