RELYING ON GOD OVERCOMING SIN

Psalm 141 is written by King David, and it is about humbly praying to God to guard his heart from evil, having a humble heart to be corrected by godly people, and deliverance from his enemies. Psalm 141:1-5 expresses David's prayer: "I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 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. 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." David realized that he needed God to guard his heart from committing sin. His heart could easily be tempted to say or do sinful things. Additionally, his heart could fall into pride, not wanting to be corrected by godly people. As a result, David earnestly prayed to God to help him not to fall into sin.

We need God's help to guard our hearts against falling into sin. It's easy for us to say and do things that are wrong. Our own willpower, determination, and strength are not sufficient to protect us from giving in to temptation. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? (NKJV)" Our hearts express our thoughts, desires, and motives. If our hearts are not right before God, our thoughts, desires, and motives will show sinful behavior. It will affect the things that we say and do. If we sincerely want to do what is right before God, we must humble ourselves to God and ask him to change our hearts and guard our hearts from temptations that lead us to sinful behaviors and attitudes. I used to make a list of things that I can and cannot do to help me overcome temptations, but I ended up getting frustrated because I kept on failing to follow through on my list. But by God's grace, He helped me understand that I cannot overcome temptations on my own wisdom, strength, and determination. I need to rely on His strength.

As we face temptations, we must rely on God to protect our hearts from giving in to them. We must not allow pride if someone tries to correct us. We should avoid living in sin, as it can ruin our lives and create numerous challenges.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Can I overcome sin in my life by my own wisdom, strength, willpower, and determination? What should I do to overcome temptations in my life? Why is it important to listen to a godly correction and rebuke?

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I humbly come before you this morning to ask you to guard my heart from willful sin. Please help me not to give in to temptations that lead me away from your ways. I need your help in overcoming sin in my life, for I cannot overcome sin with my own strength and wisdom. Please help me to listen to godly correction and rebuke so that I will keep my ways pure before you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.