Set A Watch, O LORD, Before My Mouth

January 23, 2018- Tuesday-#598-Daily Morning Bible Reading and Meditation-Psalm 141 KJV

*** Set a watch, O Lord , before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. *** 

[1] Lord , I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 

[2] Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 

[3] Set a watch, O Lord , before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 

[4] Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. 

[5] Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 

[8] But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

Words to ponder for today:

Set A Watch, O LORD, Before My Mouth

 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth. That mouth had been used in prayer, it would be a pity if it should ever be defiled with untruth, or pride, or wrath; yet so it will become,  unless carefully watched, for these intruders are ever lurking about the door. 

David feels that with all his own watchfulness he may be surprised into sin, and so he begs the LORD himself to keep him. 

When GOD The Almighty sets the watch, the city is well guarded: when the LORD becomes the guard of our mouth the whole man in us is well garrisoned. 

Keep the door of my lips. God has made our lips the door of the mouth, but we cannot keep that door of ourselves, therefore do we entreat the Lord to take the rule of it. 

O that the LORD would both open and shut our lips, for we can do neither the one nor the other aright if left to ourselves. In times of persecution by ungodly men we are peculiarly liable to speak hastily, or evasively, and therefore we should be specially anxious to be preserved in that direction from every form of sin. How condescending is the LORD! We are ennobled by being door keepers for him, and yet He deigns to be a door keeper for us.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing. It is equivalent to the petition, "Lead us not into temptation." O that nothing may arise in providence which would excite our desires in a wrong direction. The Psalmist is here careful of his heart. He who holds the heart is lord of the man: but if the tongue and the heart are under GOD, GOD's care all is safe. Let us pray that he may never leave us to our own inclinations, or we shall soon decline from the right.To practise wicked works with men that work iniquity. 

The way the heart inclines the life soon tends: evil things desired bring forth wicked things practised. Unless the fountain of life is kept pure, the streams of life will soon be polluted. 

Take heed! There is great power in company: even good men are apt to be swayed by association; hence the fear that we may practise wicked works when we are with wicked workers. 

We must endeavour not to be with them lest we sin with them. It is bad when the heart goes the wrong way alone, worse when the life runs in the evil road alone; but it is apt to increase unto a high degree of ungodliness when the backslider runs the downward path with a whole horde of sinners around him. Our practice will be our perdition if it be evil: it is an aggravation of sin rather than an excuse for it to say that it is our custom and our habit. It is God's practice to punish all who make iniquity their practice . 

Real good men should be horrified at the thought of sinning as others do; the fear of it drives them to their knees. Iniquity, which, being interpreted, is a want of equity, is a thing to be shunned as we would avoid an infectious disease. And let me not eat of their dainties. If we work with them we shall soon eat with them. They will bring out their sweet morsels, and delicate dishes, in the hope of binding us to their service by the means of our palates. The trap is baited with delicious meats that we may be captured and become meat for their malice. If we would not sin with men we had better not sit with them, and if we would not share their wickedness we must not share their wantonness.

Let us therefore be accounted to seek always GOD’s guidance and watchfulness, and pray earnestly to The LORD to set watch before our mouth, that we may obtain favor in His sight; as David prayed this prayer: 

Psalm 19:14 KJV

[14] Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord , my strength, and my redeemer.

Have a pleasant day ahead!

Psalm 141:1-10 KJV

[1] Lord , I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. [2] Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. [3] Set a watch, O Lord , before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. [4] Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. [5] Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. [6] When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. [7] Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. [8] But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. [9] Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. [10] Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.