WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 28, 2024
TOPIC: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY (1)
BY T. O. BANSO
“Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble” (Proverbs 21:23 New Century Version).
When someone is a baby, he is taught to talk. But as he grows, he must learn to be careful what to say. Some people are in trouble today not because they couldn’t talk but because they said what they shouldn’t have said. “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut” (Proverbs 10:19 New Living Translation). Those who talk too much are more likely to sin with their mouths. But spiritually mature people control their tongues. James 1:26 says, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless” (New King James Version).
Be careful what you say. It is not everything that occurs to you that you should say. A mature person knows what to say and what not to say. He disciplines himself in the use of his tongue. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21 New International Version). Be careful what you say. Don’t court death with your tongue. “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3 New International Version).
Be careful what you say or else you will put yourself in avoidable trouble. Learn from the errors of others. “Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble” (Proverbs 21:23 New Century Version). The New King James says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Be careful what you say, keeping yourself out of trouble or your soul from trouble. Don’t get yourself in trouble and start regretting. The consequences could sometimes be grave and one may not get out of trouble for a long time to come. A wise person will take this counsel seriously, but a fool will ignore it. Restrain your tongues; be careful what you say. “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues” (Proverbs 17:27-28 New International Version).
Be careful what you say. I want to break this down by highlighting some situations when you should be careful what you say. This is important because many people put themselves in trouble when they are not careful in what they say at these times.
1. Be careful what you say when you are angry. Don’t speak in anger when you feel angry. You will say what you will regret saying. You can’t take back what you have said.
In Numbers 20, Moses said what he was not supposed to say. He spoke unadvisedly and God prevented him from entering the Promised Land. “So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’ These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them” (Numbers 20:9-13 New International Version).
Moses shouldn’t have called the Israelites rebels although they were. Also, he shouldn’t have asked them if they (he and Aaron) must bring water out of the rock for them. God had used him to do that before; he didn’t do it himself. In addition, he struck the rock twice. God didn’t ask him to strike the rock as he had done the first time God gave the Israelites water out of the rock. Moses was to speak to the rock. Speaking in anger will make you speak what is wrong and act wrongly.
Psalm 106:32-33 refers to Moses’ error thus “By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips” (New International Version). Note the phrase “rash words came from Moses’ lips.” American Standard Version says, “He spake unadvisedly with his lips.” The Amplified Bible says, “Moses spoke recklessly with his lips.” The Living Bible puts verse 33 this way: “He became angry and spoke foolishly.”
Be careful what you say when you are angry otherwise, you will speak recklessly, unadvisedly, or foolishly. Keep your anger under control. Proverbs 29:11 says, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (New International Version). The New Century Version says it like this: “Foolish people lose their tempers, but wise people control theirs.” When you lose your temper, you lose. You can lose your marriage, relationship, job, peace, etc.
Don’t express your anger foolishly by saying what you will regret later. Calm down and say what you should say. When you speak in anger, you are being controlled by whoever makes you angry, not yourself. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20 New International Version).
2. Be careful what you say when you are exhausted. When you feel tired and weary, you should not engage in important conversations because you need rest. You are not in a good mood. When you are tired and weak, you may lack concentration and attention and be unable to think properly. You may become emotionally reactive. In other words, you may overact. You may react in a way that may cause relational problems or you may commit yourself to doing what you are not ready or willing to do.
Tiredness affects effective communication. Politely postpone such conversation or appointment till when you have refreshed yourself. You are a human being, not God who never gets tired (Isaiah 40:28). Those who are weak and tired need rest. God said to Jeremiah about the people of Judah, “I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired” (Jeremiah 31:25 New Century Version).
3. Be careful what you say when you are glad, sad, or in difficulty. When people are in such a situation, they can say some things without thinking of the implications. People can be excited and say some things emotionally. Under life’s pressure, they can also say some things they don’t mean. They are controlled by their emotions which may soon change but what they have said stands against them. They become sober or sad, and regret what they have said.
Control your emotions when you speak. Don’t let your emotions override your judgment. On his birthday, Herod was carried away by the joyous mood he was in. He was delighted by the dance of Herodias’ daughter and made an open-ended promise, which led to the beheading of John the Baptist whom he had imprisoned.
Matthew 14:6-11 says, “On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother” (New International Version). Herod shouldn’t have given the girl a blank cheque, but he did because she danced and pleased him. When you are happy, be careful what you say. Control your emotions. Don’t make promises without thinking through them. Beware of open-ended promises.
This point also applies to making pledges or vows. Don’t make emotional pledges or vows because of the ecstasy of the moment or pressure on you, and regret it later. Think before you make a vow or promise. Don’t make one you cannot keep or would wish you didn’t make.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?” (New International Version). Also, Deuteronomy 23:21-23 says you should fuilfil your vows to God without delay.
Furthermore, when you are sad or facing difficulties, be careful what you say. When you are going through hardship or difficulty, saying some things will not change anything. You must exercise restraint. You may be experiencing severe pain, but cursing the day you were born and regretting your birth, as Job and Jeremiah did, will not end adversity (Job 3; Jeremiah 20:14-18). The deliverance of Job and Jeremiah didn’t come because of this. They didn’t quit on God and He delivered them. Don’t listen to any suggestion to curse God and die, as Job’s wife told him to do but he rebuked her (Job 2:9-10). Even when you express your feelings to God as you deal with life’s troubles, meditate on and confess the Word of God and pray. James 5:13a says, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray” (New International Version).
Whatever you may be passing through, avoid speaking unhelpful words. Pray. “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:23-24 New King James Version).
Be careful what you say when the situations I have discussed today arise. Your mouth will not put you in trouble. I will conclude this message tomorrow and show you other times you should be careful what you say.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to control my tongue and not say what I am not supposed to say. Help me to say what I should say in every situation. My mouth shall not put me in trouble in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
