Slices
Prepare
We often think of God’s grace rescuing us from our past sins, and rightly so! However, it is good to also give thanks for how God’s grace has kept you from sin.
Bible passage
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.
5 Let a righteous man strike me – that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me – that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, ‘As one ploughs and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.’
8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
from the snares they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.
Explore
In this psalm, David is calling on God to hear his prayer and act quickly (vs 1,2). As in many other psalms, his prayer is for deliverance from his plotting enemies. But what is unusual here is the other half of the prayer. Before he asks for their plans to fail, he asks for God to guard him, so that he will not fail (vs 3,4).
In a sinful world, it is easy to become confident in ourselves. After all, we are not the thieving crooks or violent criminals. But if it weren’t for the goodness of God, would we really be good? David asks God to guard his mouth – how easy it is to sin in what we say! David asks God to keep his heart from being drawn into sin – how easy it is to desire wrong! (vs 3–5).
David prays for the evildoers to fail in their sinister plans (vs 6–10). However, his confidence is not simply in justice, otherwise he may be tempted toward pride. Rather, his eyes are fixed on the God who can keep him safe from his enemies, and also from himself!
Respond
Prayerfully ponder where in your life you might be tempted to feel proud because your life seems above reproach. Pray as Jesus taught us, ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13).
Deeper Bible study
‘It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.’1
In this psalm David prays for God to deliver him from evil men and their wicked ways. He desires to be untainted by the kind of evil his enemies are guilty of in their attacks upon him. In the end, he trusts in God’s ability to rescue him and repay his opponents for the harm they have done against him. What is striking about this psalm is the way that David recognises his own propensity to sin and expresses his need of God’s help to maintain his own integrity by refusing to compromise with wickedness.
David asks God to guard his lips so that he will not say anything that would meet sin halfway (v 3). He realises that the tongue is ‘a world of evil among the parts of the body’.2 At the same time, he knows that the words we speak are sourced from what is found in our hearts (v 4). Therefore David asks for strength to avoid the influence of evildoers that could easily lead him astray. By wanting to avoid the ‘delicacies’ of the wicked (v 4, ie an appetite for all that is morally unsavoury), he shows us how important it is to choose our close friends wisely (v 5)! As the Greek poet Menander wrote, quoted by Paul, ‘Bad company corrupts good character’.3
In this world, Christians do not live in a cocoon that prevents all contact with the unrighteous. Nor does God want this, for how will the unsaved hear about Jesus and the gospel if we separate ourselves completely from them? Nevertheless, by ensuring that we nurture our communion with fellow believers who will gently rebuke us when necessary, we will encourage ourselves to continue in the ways of God (v 5). David also acknowledges that surrounding ourselves only with yes-men will not do!
Thank God and pray for those friends of yours whose godly wisdom and example have been a great encouragement to you!
1 Eccl 7:5 2 James 3:6 3 1 Cor 15:33
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Judges 3,4; Mark 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Praise God for teachers and school support staff, for their extraordinary dedication, flexibility and patience since the start of the pandemic restrictions around this time last year. (This week's prayers relate to Taking God’s love back into schools.)
