When guard rails are erected, they are put there to protect people from the danger that is on the other side of the rail or rails. If we keep on the right side of the rails, we will be safe. Hazards await us if we attempt to travel on the wrong side of the rails.
I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” (Psalm 39:1-5 NLT)
Sometimes our silence can cause us to burn with anger, especially when wicked things are being said. If an opportunity presents itself, we need to speak up when unkind things are said about another. At some point in our lives, we may also have suffered from negative words said repeatedly to us by an unguarded tongue. When we believed these wicked words, our lives may have made a hazardous move to the unsafe side of the guard rail. At that time, we may have been unaware of how frail we were to verbal abuse, and how through the days and years it would take its toll on our lives.
No matter how old we are, God’s desire is to see us made whole with guard rails in place in our minds, in our hearts and on our tongues. As we grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus our Lord, we will allow His Word to become a guard rail in our lives. We can then relax and enjoy the safety of God’s care as we stay within the boundaries He has set.
Prayer: Loving God, Help me to be kind and to speak the truth only with love. My desire is to establish Your Word as a guard rail in all I do and say. Amen
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