Trouble Trap

On October 25, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 21: 23         God’s Word

Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

What do we need to say about this verse? Most of us, when we think back on occasions where we have gotten ourselves in trouble, will acknowledge that it usually was from something we said. We are more likely to offend someone by what we say than any other way.

I think the secret to guarding one’s mouth is in getting some help. Psalm 141: 3 is just such an entreaty, “Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” In my case, it takes the power of the Almighty to keep my mouth out of trouble and even then, it can still be a challenge, but this is a worthy subject for prayer. If we don’t actively set that guard over our mouths and tongues, we are sure to stumble into trouble.

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Mouth Guard

On March 22, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 141: 3

Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.

We all have our weaknesses, and this is mine. There are other good verses in this psalm, but I have to preach to myself this morning. When I am stressed, tired, frustrated or haven’t spent enough time with our Father, it shows in my language. When my threshold for dealing with pent up frustration or stress is breached, the pressure relief valve is my mouth. And believe me, I need the power of God to curtail my speech.

I imagine a cave entrance with a large angel standing watch over it. He checks everything going in or out of that portal. He is a strong angel and the more I picture him at his station the more entrenched he becomes. I do need to feed him, though, and it seems that he gains his strength through the time I spend with my Father and time spent with God’s Word. I guess I am really nourishing myself and my angel is fortified through me. When I am weak, his strength may fail because he gets his strength through my well-nourished spirit. I don’t have to bolster the angel; he knows how to do his job. In other words, I don’t have to do help him stand guard. I don’t have to help him at all. I just need to do my “one thing” and he will do his singular task. In fact, I do not even need to think about the angel and his mission if I am fulfilling my own. So many things simply fall into place when I seek the Lord and ponder His Word.

Pray, asking the Lord to set a guard. He will then guard your lips for you. It is one less thing you will have to wrestle with. Do your part to keep him healthy and strong, though. Make sure you are nourishing your spirit because that is the well of living water, the source of life and light. Life and death are in the mouth (Proverbs 18: 21) so we are well advised to set a guard over it for from it spring the issues of life.

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Temple Guard

On March 22, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 141: 3

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Yesterday we talked about longevity. You should expect to live a long life and be vital and vibrant. You have God’s promise on that. It is His will. Yet, we are not all living in God’s perfect will. Why not?

Yahweh sent the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. He is our teacher. What that means to us is that He reveals God’s wisdom to us. The Holy Spirit leads us into success by leading us in wisdom. This relates to long life and health as well.

So, take today’s scripture. What does it have to do with longevity? Well, the first thing is that what you speak from your mouth is going to determine the results you get. If you are trash talking about your life and life expectancy, then garbage will be the result. If however, you take God at His word and let His words about you come out of your mouth, then you are going to build a healthy life. This is pretty basic, but essential, Christianity. Therefore, we pray and ask God to set a guard over our mouths so that we speak only right words about ourselves and our bodies.

Here is the second application of today’s verse and it goes right to the matter of health and long life. As God guards what comes out of our mouths, so can He protect us from what we put in our mouths. As garbage words taint our well-being, so do the things we put in our mouths. Study after study and author after author informs us that most (though some claim all) disease and physical dysfunction is caused by poor diet. We’ve gotta get a revelation folks. Part of the reason there were no infirm among the Israelites is because they did not eat garbage. Father even cooked for them, providing them manna each day, so they could continue on their way in full vigor.

This is where the Spirit of Truth comes in. If you will listen, he will lead you into all truth about diet. I laugh because, as far as I know, we are the only creature on earth that doesn’t know what food to eat. How many books have wolves had to read in order to establish their diet? Now, let me tell you the whole truth. The Spirit may lead you to a book. He may lead you to a friend. These are some of the ways the Spirit leads us into truth. And we must diligently listen to him as he guides us to those resources. Let me be one of those friends and give you my own personal piece of advice. Seek wisdom, seek her as treasure, as the Bible says, but also pray at the grocery store. Certainly, my advisors would tell me to have a plan and a list when I go to the store, but I am not going into that dangerous place without the Holy Spirit. No way! In fact, if you hear someone praying in tongues in the next aisle, it is probably me. The grocery store is like the Temple of Doom if you do not know how to navigate the booby traps. Here’s my advice. Don’t be a booby. Put on your Indiana Jones hat and take the Spirit with you, making sure to follow him closely. Wrong steps in that place are causing Americans their lives. Let’s change that.

We want to live long lives and still be physically and mentally able throughout. So, set a guard over your mouth. Give the Spirit permission to counsel you about your diet and hearken to his voice. Be whole, my friends. Be whole and healthy in Jesus.

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Strong Guards

On March 21, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Psalm 141: 3                   Index Card 5

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Well, here we are again, back to my mouth. Remember, this series is from my own set of index cards. These are the verses I have transferred to cards so that I can post them in front of my eyes continually.

If I can lasso the words of my mouth, then my entire walk is easier, “For, ‘The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit’” (1 Peter 3: 10). The truth is, though, “no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison” (James 3: 8). So, I failed time after time, and I still fail today if I don’t keep God’s guard over my mouth.

This is a good reminder for me today. I should pray daily for God’s help with my mouth. O Lord, send a big angel to guard my mouth and keep watch over my lips.

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Heart & Mouth

On March 15, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 19: 14                      Index Card 1

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I am beginning a new series today. Many times I recommend that you take really meaningful verses and write them out on 3 X 5 index cards then put them in plain sight so that you can review them frequently. Well, it may please you to know that I take my own advice. Today’s verse is the first in a series of Ivey’s index cards. I hope you enjoy seeing which verses I have recorded in my scripture deck of cards.

This verse is first and foremost in my mind and, in my stack of cards, because my failures so often come out of my mouth. In truth, it is what is in our hearts which bubbles up and out of our mouths (Matthew 12: 34) and often in the most inconvenient of times. So, this verse reminds me to check the content of my heart and set a guard over my mouth (Psalm 141: 3).

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Sentry Duty

On August 8, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 141: 3

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Yesterday’s Word was actually a teaching on spiritual warfare. It was about how to survive and even win the battles of life. I can’t leave you with yesterday’s teaching without giving you this verse too because they go so very much hand in hand. As you run into the presence of the Lord the very last thing you should do is explain the problem over and over to him. In truth, He already knows the problem. What He is looking for from you is trust and faith. So, the key thing you have to do is to guard your mouth. Now I know for myself that I don’t necessarily do a very good job of even that in my own strength so the first thing I do is to pray asking for help. Don’t make this hard. Just pray these exact words. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Write this verse on a 3 X 5 card so that you have it handy when you need it. Then just speak it to the Father.

You won’t be surprised, perhaps, to discover that David wrote this psalm in addition to the one from yesterday. (If you missed yesterday’s Word of the Day you can read it at www.iveyministries.blogspot.com) .  It seems to me that he learned that one of the first things you have to do in the day of trouble is shut your mouth.  

When we get upset it seems to loosen the cords that hold our mouth. The first thing that many of us want to do is to call someone and tell him how someone did us wrong. You may feel that if you don’t tell someone you will just explode. I know the feeling. That is why the first thing to do is to pray this verse. Honestly, God will help you. Then get out your Bible and read. Let God lead you into peace.

This is a trick of the devil and we really must stop playing by his playbook. His strategy is to get us upset or angry so that we let loose with our language. When we do that we actually give him building blocks that he can use to defeat us. In a sense we defeat ourselves because we provide the ammo that shoots us down. So, do yourself a big favor. The next time you get mad, someone does you wrong or some ugly problem jumps up in your face, set a sentry over your mouth. Get one of those big dudes to stand guard for you. Put this verse into action and then let the Lord lead you.

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