Psalms 17:3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
David expressed this purpose again in the following verse:
Psalms 39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
Notice that David’s resolve was expressed in the future tense. Taking heed to his ways in order to avoid sins of the tongue, and keeping his mouth with a bridle, were things David set before himself to be done, which is to purpose by definition.
This subject hits close to home for me. I am a Mott and Motts are quite the talkers. A first cousin of mine once remarked: “A picture is worth a thousand words. But with a Mott you get a picture and a thousand words.” That statement would be funnier if it weren’t so true.
Scripture has a lot to say about sins of the tongue. James gives a graphic destruction of the destructive potential of the tongue.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Our tongue is a world all unto itself, even a world of iniquity. Now that is a lot to get under control! The tongue is a fire kindled by hell itself. It is unruly. We must force it into subjection. One will never tame it as one might tame some animals. Anything this destructive certainly needs to be bridled. It requires careful attention (heed) to keep the tongue under control. Hence, David purposed that his mouth would not transgress and took heed to his ways in order to avoid sinning with his tongue.
As we noted in our meditation last week, improvement in this area will only occur as we determine, as we resolve, as we purpose to improve. It will not be enough just to wish that we didn’t run off at the mouth so much. We have to set the control of our mouth as something before us to accomplish. It takes determination to do this, especially considering the resistance we will get from this unruly evil.
But just resolving to get the tongue under control is not enough. We will need God’s assistance. It is as our Lord Jesus said:
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Indeed, we must watch. As David said, we must take heed to our ways. But in addition, we must seek God’s help. Otherwise, our most firm resolutions will collapse in defeat because we are up against an evil that is greater than we. Therefore, we also find David praying this prayer:
Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
God must stand guard at the door of our lips to prevent temptations that would be beyond our ability to bear. This prayer is another way of saying: “Lead us not into temptation.”
In order to drive home the importance of bridling the tongue, consider the following verses.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect (spiritually mature) man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Proverbs 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain (unprofitable, useless, worthless).
So if we would be spiritually mature; if we would control our whole body with it various passions and lusts, if we would be wise, if we would preserve our life, if we would practice a religion that is worthwhile, we must bridle our tongue. We need to adopt the resolve of the Psalmist and say: “I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”
I close with this thought: “A loose tongue will get you into a tight spot.” The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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