Tuesday, September 1, 2026

It has been said that the Lord gave us one mouth and two ears. Maybe He wants us to listen more and speak less. Proverbs 18:13 says, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” Our words are a table of contents to our life. What we say gives away who or what we really are. That’s why David wrote in Psalm 141:3, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” The realization here is that we need God’s help because we can’t do this on our own.

David faced off against a lion, a bear, the murderous King Saul and even the giant Goliath. But these were nothing compared to having God control his tongue. We too can accomplish important works with our words after we’ve listened wisely. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:5-6, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversations be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (NLT)

Like David, we need to pray that the Lord will set a guard over our mouths and keep a watch over our lips. As someone once said, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break your heart!” We’ll have to answer for every idle word we utter so let’s listen carefully and let the Lord speak though us. As Proverbs 15:4 says, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” (NLT) Let’s not crush any spirit but speak with gentle authority.