- Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! Psalm 141:4 – I appreciate the realness from the psalmist here. He doesn’t play it off like he never struggles with temptations, he openly is asking for God’s help with the battle against them. He knows his heart could easily begin to lean towards the tempting things they are doing. Even in the last phrase he calls them delicacies. Not vile things, not disgusting to the eyes things, but things that are appealing yet all wrong for him. Realize if your are struggling with temptations, it’s normal. If you are seeking to follow God well but keep having to say no to appealing “delicacies” that it’s expected in your walk to have that happen. Your enemy wants nothing else but to get you off the right path so to do that do you really thing he’d use things that disgust you to tempt you or things that appeal to you? Until we breathe our last breath temptations will be in our story, just remember Jesus showed us it’s possible to say no and is helping us do so everyday. So don’t beat yourself down if the temptations still seem appealing, our enemy isn’t stupid. Just keep focused on how much more of a delicacy are the things of Jesus and incline your heart towards them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1505
- Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. Psalm 141:5 – Without much context, this is an interesting statement our psalmist would say. That it’s a kindness to have a righteous man strike me. If that’s all there was to the psalm, that would be a unique way to handle our church gatherings and greetings! What we see though is the psalmist recognizing the realness of the temptation around him to turn to sinful things. These temptations are present and he knows that his flesh longs for such things. If then he were to being to walk after such sinful things, he prays a faithful brother would stop him. That a strike from a brother, if meant to wake him up and keep him from the path of sin, is a kindness. A true brother won’t allow another follower in Christ to walk after sin without trying to stop him. Has a fellow believer in Christ ever “stuck” you before as you were beginning to say yes to the temptations around you? Have you ever “stuck” another believer to help them stay on the right path? While stepping in the way of another person in situation like this is never easy, it is the loving action to take. For sin will only steal, kill, and destroy their life. If we truly love our brothers and sisters, we’ll strike when needed and we’ll gladly accept the strike when needed in our story. I love you, but Jesus love you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2272
Daily DEVO 