Psalm 141:3-4

This psalm begins as we meet David worshipping God. He asked God to accept his prayer as an incense offering and raises his hands in worship. But he knew that his worship couldn’t stand apart from everyday life. If he worshipped God, he knew it had to affect the way in which he spoke to other people. He knew he needed God to take control of his speech and to set a guard on his lips.

The language he used in these verses is interesting. He asked God not to let him “drift towards evil”. When we sin, it is normally part of a process in which we have gradually moved towards sin. Perhaps we were just a bit annoyed by something that someone said, and then we felt unhappy with them, then really annoyed. Eventually, we snapped. It’s
all too easy to slowly and subtly drift into evil.

David also saw the danger of spending time with the wrong kind of people. Having meals with others sounds innocent enough, but if we spend too much time with people whose language and actions are evil, it will have an effect on us.

The writer of Proverbs summed this up with typical bluntness: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble” (Proverbs 13:20). The apostle Paul was also more than aware of the danger of bad company. Referring to those who said “’Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” he commented: “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for ‘bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:32-33).

What we say gives us away. It reveals the kind of people we really are. We need to make sure that we are living so close to God that our words reflect him and his love for the people around us.

QUESTION
In what ways does God help you to control what you say?

PRAYER
Loving God, help me to use my words wisely and lovingly. Amen

Released on 17 Jun 2023