Psalm 141
-Theme: Call upon
the LORD and trust Him when facing temptation and needing protection. The
wisdom of righteous reproof.
-Historical Insight: This is a Psalm of David.
-*Application* How demanding are you when you beseech the
God of the universe? David here shows us that boldness is a favored quality
when we approach His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Not only that, but we
should have great expectation in faith when we pray (Matthew 21:22). Further,
as responsible Christians we are to ask the Father to set a “guard” over our
mouth and a “door” over our lips (Psalm 141:3). This is the same theme James
picks up on with regard to the tongue and the damage that it can cause in our
lives when left unchecked by the Holy Spirit (James 1:26; 3:5-12). The average
person speaks around 700 times a day. It is wise to ask God to guard what we
say. Speak blessing and build others up rather than tearing down with evil
words in your life. Our words come from the overflow of our heart as David
rightly assesses (Psalm 141:4). Where is the inclination of your heart today?
Is it centered on God and His ways, or is it focused on self-gratification and
gain? Your actions will reveal the real desires of your heart. Then, David
focuses on accountability when he writes accurately on the advantage of
receiving a righteous person’s rebuke for misdoings. There are three things
here for us to consider from just criticism: 1) Don’t refuse it, 2) Consider it
a kindness, 3) Keep quiet in it and resist the temptation to fight back.
Discipline in your life can be ultimately productive and beneficial if we will
be strong enough and mature enough to recognize that (Hebrews 12:5-17).
Finally, David expresses the need to keep our eyes focused on the LORD for our
security (Hebrews 12:1-2). Trusting in the all-powerful God to take care of us
in the dangers of life is our best bet. He has a way of keeping us out of the “jaws”
and “snares” of the wicked and their evil schemes to bring us safely through
(Psalm 141:9-10, Ephesians 6:10-12).
Verse to Memorize:
Psalm 141:5
No comments:
Post a Comment