Psalms Reading – 5.11.2022
Psalm 141
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 plows 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.
Psalm 141 has many similarities with Psalm140. Both are individual laments, are concerned with justice, and use the same hunting imagery. Unlike Psalm 140, David prays that he would remain holy and faithful in the midst of his ungodly enemies. He asks God to guard his lips so that he would speak what is appropriate for a man chases after God’s own heart. He desires for God to keep his heart pure so that he will not participate in the same evil that is attacking him.
If he ever went the way of evil, he would welcome a righteous person to rebuke him for any sin he engaged in. David lived up to this prayer when the prophet Nathan rebuked him for his sins of adultery and murder. David humbled himself, accepted the rebuke, and confessed his evil deeds.
A sign of spiritual maturity is when we can receive correction and discipline from God through others.
David tells us how to maintain a faithful heart, “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord.” It reminds us of a similar instruction in the New Testament.
Hebrews 12:1-2, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…
Memory Verse: Psalm 139:5, You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Question(s) to Consider: What are your eyes fixed on? Will you turn them fully to Jesus so that you can run the race of life with perseverance in order to faithfully cross the finish line?