Take Heed & Walk Circumspectly

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
-Psalm 39:1 (KJV)


Do you ever think about what you do before you do it? Or, do you just act out upon your thoughts? I think most of us is a mixture of both. Sometimes we take time to think about what we are going to do, other times we just act out without thinking. I think the words of David in Psalm 39:1 is some wise advice for our world today.


He says, "I will take heed to my ways," He was going to take heed to his ways. To "take heed" means to listen and pay attention. David was going to pay attention to the way he is living, and listen to what he is saying. In our world today, it seems that no one really pays attention to the way they live. They live for the here and now, not thinking about what will happen in the future, or the consequences for their actions today. It would be wise of us if we would start paying attention to what we say and what we do. Paul says in Ephesians 5:15, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," To walk circumspectly means that you pay attention to how you walk, that you are careful. We need to be careful how we live. The world looks at us, as Christians, differently than how they look at each other. We need to walk carefully, not as fools. In this case, fools refer to those who care nothing about God, and live for sin and destroy themselves. We should not live like them. Sin has no power over us, over those who put their faith in Christ. We need to live like sin has no power. We need to walk as wise, as those taught by God with wisdom from Him. We need to walk circumspectly, paying attention to our steps. Matthew Henry wrote this in his commentary on Ephesians 5:15, "Circumspect walking is the effect of true wisdom, but the contrary is the effect of folly." We must take heed of our ways, and walk carefully each day.


David continues in verse 1, "that I sin not with my tongue." He wants to watch his ways and watch his speech. Think of how often we sin with our speech. The lies, even the little white lies that no one thinks is wrong. The gossip, the dirty jokes, the swearing, I could go on. David wants to watch his speech. I really think that if we are careful with the way we live our lives, if we take heed to our ways, our speech will reflect that. Our speech will reflect the way we live. If we are truly walking as wise (Eph. 5:15), then our speech will reflect that. James has nothing good to say about the tongue. We read in James 2:6 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." The tongue is a world of sin, and our speech defiles our whole body. Does your speech reflect the life you live? James goes on, in verses 9-10, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." How can we praise God, and speak slander against someone else? We can't do it. Yet, many of us live exactly that way. The only way to overcome this is to take heed on how we walk, and walk circumspectly.


How are you walking today? Does your speech reflect the way you walk? Are you walking as wise, or as a fool? Think About It.