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One Woman's Pilgrimage
by Linda Bush Cannon
Put a Lid On It!
Date Posted: November 25, 2007
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Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.”
The word in Hebrew for door is deleth, a feminine noun. It can also be translated as gate or lid. Three other possible definitions that caught my eye were “of crocodile jaws”, “of chest lid”, and “of an easily accessible woman.” Hmmmm… this got my mind going.
A feminine noun… had to be feminine, didn’t it?
An easily accessible woman – while I like to think of myself as accessible to others, I don’t really think I’d want this on my tombstone. In the context of the word/Scripture verse, my visual picture of this is a big old gossip, blabbing away to anyone in her path!
Crocodile jaws – ouch! Doesn’t that relay a visual in terms of gossip? It bites, hurts, it’s sharp and destructive, consuming. And when was the last time you thought it would be inviting to peer into the open mouth of a crocodile???
Chest lid – When I hear this, I immediately think of how we often justify spewing out angry words because “I just had to get it off my chest!” Somehow that makes it okay to sin? That’s like saying, “I just had to rob that bank!” because you needed money!
When we think of this word being translated as lid, I’m also reminded of the old saying when you want someone to stop complaining, or talking… “Hey, put a lid on it!” Perhaps this is an accurate translation, we’re asking God to help us put a lid on it.
Visualize with me for a moment if you will – God’s hand reaches down and in it He’s holding a little tin painted soldier – it looks just like one of those British soldiers that guards the Royal Palace (you know, red jacket, big black towering helmet). God places this little guard right over your mouth. The little guard reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a big gold pocketwatch, which he immediately takes and hammers on a little door which has miraculously appeared over your lips! Now repeat after me… “Proverbs 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.”
May the words you speak be filled with love, comfort, healing, kindness, and may the Holy Spirit work in you to speak the words of Jesus Himself to all you come in contact with today.
The word in Hebrew for door is deleth, a feminine noun. It can also be translated as gate or lid. Three other possible definitions that caught my eye were “of crocodile jaws”, “of chest lid”, and “of an easily accessible woman.” Hmmmm… this got my mind going.
A feminine noun… had to be feminine, didn’t it?
An easily accessible woman – while I like to think of myself as accessible to others, I don’t really think I’d want this on my tombstone. In the context of the word/Scripture verse, my visual picture of this is a big old gossip, blabbing away to anyone in her path!
Crocodile jaws – ouch! Doesn’t that relay a visual in terms of gossip? It bites, hurts, it’s sharp and destructive, consuming. And when was the last time you thought it would be inviting to peer into the open mouth of a crocodile???
Chest lid – When I hear this, I immediately think of how we often justify spewing out angry words because “I just had to get it off my chest!” Somehow that makes it okay to sin? That’s like saying, “I just had to rob that bank!” because you needed money!
When we think of this word being translated as lid, I’m also reminded of the old saying when you want someone to stop complaining, or talking… “Hey, put a lid on it!” Perhaps this is an accurate translation, we’re asking God to help us put a lid on it.
Visualize with me for a moment if you will – God’s hand reaches down and in it He’s holding a little tin painted soldier – it looks just like one of those British soldiers that guards the Royal Palace (you know, red jacket, big black towering helmet). God places this little guard right over your mouth. The little guard reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a big gold pocketwatch, which he immediately takes and hammers on a little door which has miraculously appeared over your lips! Now repeat after me… “Proverbs 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.”
May the words you speak be filled with love, comfort, healing, kindness, and may the Holy Spirit work in you to speak the words of Jesus Himself to all you come in contact with today.
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Linda is "...simply one woman running hard after Jesus, in an effort to be authentic and always growing in my devotion to Him, while open and real in the hopes that my life might point to and glorify Christ my Lord." She has been a women's Bible study leader for over 17 years, and is a wife, mother, certified personal trainer, life coach, health/wellness coach, Pilates/Pilates Reformer instructor, writer, photographer and "wild 'n crazy wacky woman of God" She lives in NJ, and is happiest when she's outdoors by a stream or in a park with a book, cooking for family and friends, or simply enjoying early mornings in God's natural sanctuary of nature. Her life verse is Philippians 3:7-14.
You can find her on her website at www.cannoncrosscoaching.com
You can find her on her website at www.cannoncrosscoaching.com
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