“Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.” (Jeremiah 5:22,23)
God marvels that though the sea obeys His voice, not going beyond the bounds He has set for it, the heart of man will not do the same. Though the ocean’s waves roar, they stay where God wants them to. But when man’s heart is in a tumult, he explodes with a torrent of unwise words.
If we would keep our tongue from evil, we must let God create in us a meek and quiet spirit. No matter how vexed we become by what we see, hear, and experience, we must take our heart to God and let Him calm us down. He must still the storm. If not, we will surely cause ruin as we “pour out” the abundance of our over-agitated heart.
We don’t sin because our heart becomes troubled. We sin because we don’t let God speak peace to the storm in our heart. We let the waves prevail. When our heart would tremble with anger, we will only escape sin if we fear God and tremble at His presence. Bring your thoughts and emotions to God, even when they are at their wildest. Let His Spirit speak to your spirit. If you listen, He will keep your words and actions within His bounds.