I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased;

Psalm 39:1-2 (NIV)

What I see in these two verses reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

We have to be careful of what we say. We must be even more cautious around people who don’t know the Lord. Not just of what we say but of how we behave. When we say something, we must be mindful of how we say it. Psalms 39:1-2 reminds me that we might not even say anything sinful, but we could say something we shouldn’t. Especially when we see people doing things they shouldn’t do.

Discernment comes from the Lord. In every circumstance, listen to the Holy Spirit and only say what the Holy Spirit tells you to say. We might think that someone should hear this or that thing about the Lord, but if the Holy Spirit isn’t telling me to say that good thing, then I should hold my tongue.

I praise and exalt you, Lord, for this insight today. Please help me to listen to your Holy Spirit and only say what you want me to say when you want me to. Thank you for doing this. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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