"Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee."
Proverbs 4:24
Our verse for today calls for us to make specific choices about what we will do with our ability to speak. These choices are made in our hearts, not our “blood pumper” but in our minds (Proverbs 4:23). This sets our direction and governs our talk.
“Put away from thee a froward mouth,”
This phrase to “put away” is used for several things in the Bible. Israel was told many times to put away their strange gods (abominable idols). During Passover, the Children of Israel were told to put away leaven out of their homes. Numerous times Israel was commanded to put away her evil, abominations, iniquity, and whoredoms. Saul was told to put away any person with a familiar spirit, and wizards out of the land. Nathan the prophet told king David to put away his sin. Israel was told to put away their strange wives. Paul said that when he became a man, he put away childish things. When we read the term to “put away” we can see that God is serious about what He says. If He says to “put away,” to get rid of something, He means it.
In our verse today our Lord expects us to get rid of a “froward mouth.” This phrase means a “crooked,” or “perverse” mouth. This is a mouth that doesn’t usually say the right things. This mouth is well versed in rotten, filthy, polluted talk. God expects His child to get rid of this type of speech. This talk is the “normal” talk of the lost man, whose heart is far from the Lord. But the believer is to be different in that now He uses his mouth to praise and glorify his Lord. This monumental change in a man’s mouth can never happen until he has a major change of heart. The verse before our verse today says to,
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Our mouths are run by our hearts. What is in our hearts will be revealed by what our mouths say. And our mouths can never be changed until God does a work on our hearts. Trying to change your heart without God’s intervention is like having the worse cold of your life and trying not to cough. No amount of willpower can hold your cough in. And no amount of willpower can help you say everything correctly. No, a new heart is needed. The Lord is the only one who can help you with that.
“And perverse lips put far from thee.”
Change the words your lips speak! The only way possible is through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit changing you, from the inside out. This process begins as He changes your heart at conversion, and it will be completed when we see Christ. In the meantime, ask the Lord to help you guard your heart.
“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
Dear believer, if your mouth is unruly, and you are losing the battle with your tongue, get some help. Ask your godly pastor or an older faithful believer in your church for help.