Mouth Guard

(Pro 21:23 KJV)  Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
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This is an often repeated warning in Proverbs.  As I read it I thought of the taste of dirty socks that often fills my day from saying things out of line.  As I was looking at the verb, “keepeth” (guards NASB) (8104), I noticed that one of the translations was “observe”.  It is used 38 times in the NASB and 41 in the KJV.  I looked at a few times it was used and noticed that it meant to observe the Passover.  Interesting.

This is the kind of care that looks ahead to what is going to be needed.  If we consider our words and their effect over the long haul then we might say things differently.  We might say things not at all.  I recently had a conversation where the subject came up of someone using what had been written in a letter in a harmful way.  Literally.  That was the concern.  If you are speaking to the wrong person even statements meant as support or encouragement can be used against us.

There is a point where it gets foolish to worry.  Our lives are in God’s hands and He knows our hearts.  We can’t do much about the twisted souls we rub elbows with.  At the same time it is good to have a word of caution.

So?  Speak with love and kindness.  When it comes back to you it will be either a blessing or a twisted mess that will not wilt your soul.