Wednesday: Deceitfulness of the Wicked Way
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 21st of February 2024
Read Psalms 141:1-10. What does the psalmist pray for?
Psalms 141:1-10 is a prayer for protection from temptations from within and from without. The psalmist is not only endangered by the schemes of the wicked (Psalms 141:9-10) but also is tempted to act like the wicked. The first weak point is self-control in speech, and the psalmist prays that the Lord will keep watch over the door of his lips (Psalms 141:3). This image alludes to the guarding of city gates that, in biblical times, protected the city.
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
The temptation is also whether God’s child will yield to the counsel of the righteous or be lured by the delicacies of the wicked (Psalms 141:4-5). The psalmist depicts his heart as a primary threat because there the real battle happens. Only unceasing prayer of complete trust and devotion to God can save God’s child from temptation (Psalms 141:1-2).
Read Psalms 1:1 and Psalms 141:1-10:4. How is the progressive and cunning character of temptation depicted here?
Psalms 141:1-10:4 depicts the progressive nature of temptation. First, the heart is inclined toward evil. Second, it practices evil deeds (the meaning in Hebrew underlines the repetitive character of the action). Third, the heart eats of the delicacies of the wicked, namely, accepts their evil practices as something desirable.
Likewise, in Psalms 1:1 the temptation comes to prevent God’s child from walking in the Lord’s way by causing him to walk with the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, and, finally, sit with the scornful. Sinners, wicked, and scornful: we are not to be like them or let them lead us away from the Lord.
These psalms describe the progressive, alluring, and cunning character of temptation, which underscores the fact that only total dependency on the Lord can secure one’s victory. They stress the importance of the words that one speaks, and listens to, amid temptation. The end of both the wicked and the righteous should teach the people to seek wisdom from God (Psalms 1:4-6, Psalms 141:8-10). Yet, in both psalms, the final vindication of God’s children remains in the future. This means that the believers are called to patiently trust God and to wait upon Him.
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I can remember when telephone wires were strung up on poles along our streets and roads. They used to make humming sounds in the wind, particularly at night. They were made of copper because it is a good conductor of electricity. It was easy to tell if there was a problem with a wire because you just inspected the wire until you found the broken one and patched it up.
Then someone got the bright idea of burying the wires in conduits in the ground. While that removed a lot of unsightly wires from near our streets it raised another issue. How to keep the wires safe from corrosion? If water and air get into the wires then corrosion occurs and that may be a bit hard to find underground. One solution was to remove all the water and air by sucking it out and leaving a vacuum. The problem with vacuums is that if the seal is broken they suck in water and air. The solution was to fill the conduits with nitrogen under pressure. Water and air cannot get in if there is pressure keeping it out. (Of course, nowadays they use glass fibre but that does not fit well into my story!)
I hear a lot of talk about sin (the corrosive stuff) in our lives. We are admonished that we should be guarding against this and that, and searching out the little sins that corrode our lives. Perhaps our biggest sin is that we don't fill our lives with enough of the good stuff to keep the bad stuff out. An empty life sucks.
A very large part of the Psalms is about how to fill our lives with the good stuff. I invite our readers to fill in some of that detail for us.
Maurice, David also summed up quite nicely the filling of lives with the good stuff. Psalms 40:8 He had joy doing the will of God. Psalms 1:2 He meditated on Gods word day and night. That will get you full of the good stuff.
In the Sermon on the mount Jesus warned against 3 forms of spiritual deception. 1. Trusting and following the majority for spiritual matters.2. Listening without checking the authenticity against God's word and 3. Agreeing with Jesus without acting on His word. God wants us to check the word for ourselves, use discernment by having an intimate relationship with Him, and acting in faith while revealing and reflecting God in our lives.
The phrase of the day is "Only unceasing prayer of complete trust and devotion to God can save God's child from temptation."
Yep, I need to depend entirely and always on God. He provides me with my origin (creation) and destiny (salvation).
This life lesson came to me when I needed it the most.
Am at the point were am really going through challenges, financially and at work (I don't know where to get the next meal for my children) so Psalms 141:1-2 has really made me feel at peace and ease.. to trust in the Lord no matter what circumstances am going through.
Matthew 6:26-27 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
We need to thank God for the bad and good things we go through.
In 1 Corinthians 15:33 the Apostle states, "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character."
It is so easy to be affected by those we interact with regularly: if they're ungodly, we soon find ourselves saying the things we shouldn't, listening to things we shouldn't, and sometimes even doing even things we find abhorrent! In light of this, we have to be selective about everything and everyone we engage with. It's so easy to find ourselves slipping when we learn to tolerate that which goes against the clear teaching of God's Word.
Interestingly, David seems to admit that he has a 'mouth' problem (Ps 141:3). He calls for Divine intervention because our natural inclination is to just say whatever seems convenient in the moment. We , like David, need to ask for God's help to keep us from speaking those words we wish we could pull back after they've gone out of our mouth. Help me, Lord🙏🏾
Psalm 1:1 – ”Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”
Every Psalm could be used as a source for self-reflection, assisting us to 'by faith' remain in Jesus Christ - - - what are my thoughts, what are my deeds, what do I aspire to achieve in the time allotted to me here on earth?
The fact that the redeemed do NOT walk in the counsel of the ungodly is the true blessing; Christ Jesus shows us a better way to live! Rom.5:5
I am blessed and relish the peace of heart and mind ever since receiving and accepting the sure Word of God. We live our new life in Christ Jesus. The sense of assurance and peace this gives us is one of the greatest blessings the believer can ever receive – Rom.6:10-12.
Jesus Christ knew His disciples could not go on after His departure without the help of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He promised His faithful followers He would ask the Father to send the Spirit of Truth to guide us instead; it would be He that shows us how to walk, to stand - how to live in Him, and He did! John 14:15-17.
Having been born again by God’s Grace through faith in the truthfulness of His Word, we receive our new nature which abhors evil! If we love God with all our heart, though we may be surrounded by temptation, it is His Spirit within us whose voice we long to hear and follow with all our heart.
People will let you down. That is a fact!
God taught me a long time ago in the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 17, that when we trust in man to fill our needs, we are cursed, and we set ourselves up for disappointment. However, if we trust in God, we will be blessed, and He will take care of all our needs.
This week I needlessly stressed over my financial situation. Why? Because I started to trust in people to keep their promises to me. This week's lesson came at the right time, reminding me to refocus my heart on Him. I couldn't keep my mouth shut and expressed my disappointment in someone dear to me who let me down. All that did was feed my disappointment and caused her pain and suffering; since she didn't feel she could do what she promised. Shame on me!
I thank God for His word that brought my heart back to trusting in Him alone.
He had already taken care of my financial need; I just didn't know it. This experience has shown me once again that I cannot love another in the way He loves me unless I trust Him. He is my Savior after all.
So, I say, if you want to avoid disappointment trust in the only one who will come through for you and gives you the means of love in Him toward others; for the love He puts in our hearts produces the peace that can only be begotten of God.