Week Nineteen - Hold Your Tongue

Psalm 17:3 holds this phrase, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." This is a goal David set for himself. Recognizing that God is busy proving him, visiting him in the night, and trying him, he knows what is in his heart will pour out of his mouth, so he sets a guard, a purpose that no sinful word will escape.

To not allow sinful things to rise in our language, we must be purposeful in keeping our hearts clean by allowing the Lord to do with us just as He did with David, to prove, visit, and try us. This is not a process we relish.

To prove us, God places us in situations where our integrity is challenged and our weaknesses exposed. Oh, how uncomfortable this feels. We are faced with a choice: tell the truth or lie, cheat or be honest, give or withhold. All of these little challenges add up and affect our hearts. When we fail, we feel the Holy Spirit's conviction. Often, we choke back His conviction and move on, but what we fail to recognize is that this indiscretion has planted a seed in our hearts. It has proven our lack of integrity.

For God to visit us in the night is to hear His still, small voice calling us to prayer, speaking words of wisdom to our confused hearts, pointing us in His direction in decisions, and calling us to trust Him more fully. When God visits us in the night, there are few distractions. We hear His voice more clearly, and sometimes we may even argue with Him. The better question is, are we listening? Do we notice Him visiting us in the night? Are we practicing what He is teaching?

And when God tries us, He places difficulties before us that challenge and increase our faith. Each trial contains a lesson that reveals more of His character and deepens our relationship if we pay attention and yield by faith.

With all this activity, God is working on our hearts, cleansing, strengthening, and preparing them for our future.

David's words teach us one more truth: we must live with purpose. Our hearts are fickle and tainted, often damaged by what we experience, the thoughts we entertain, and what we hear and see, so we must purposefully choose to control what goes in and what comes out.

"I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."

How could my mouth transgress?

I can speak too quickly about things that ignite an emotional response.
I can speak too much about things I don't know enough about.
I can speak with pride about what I do understand.
I can speak harshly when my patience runs thin.
I can speak from a heart of jealousy and envy.
I can speak from anger.
I can judge and slay others with hurtful words.

Our mouth is a powerful weapon, injurious, and deceitful, and it reveals what is in our hearts.
How much better for us to purposely hold our tongue than to loose it like an unruly sword.