"I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle..." (Psalm 39:1) "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." (James 3:5-6)

Nothing can be more devastating than a prairie fire. One of the worst on record was started inadvertently by an army officer. He and some friends had been hunting wild turkeys and had paused for a few moments to rest. While they were relaxing, the officer touched a match to some dry grass just to produce a spectacle. He never dreamed what dreadful consequences would follow his thoughtless act. Within minutes, the entire area was ablaze, and the men were powerless to stop it. The flames, fanned and driven by a strong wind, raged furiously and swept rapidly across the prairie. The fire burned up everything that stood in its path - thousands of acres of land, homes, buildings, and countless head of livestock. As you can well imagine, the tragic ruin and loss caused by that single act of carelessness brought untold grief and heartache to the one responsible as well as others.

Likewise, an uncontrolled tongue can do untold damage. The tongue is a very dangerous weapon which needs to be restrained at all times.