Keep Me From Evil

Daily Old Testament Reading: Psalm 141-142; 1 Samuel 25-26

Daily Focus Passage: Psalm 141 

Jesus took time to teach the disciples how to pray, and we call this model the Lord’s prayer. During the Lord’s prayer, Jesus demonstrated the need to approach the Lord and ask to be delivered from evil. This moment in the Lord’s prayer is not isolated to this moment, but we find the same theme in Psalm 141 when David seeks the Lord to protect him from the temptation around him to participate in evil deeds. Psalm 141 teaches us the importance of seeking the Lord for protection from the threat of falling prey to evil.

PRAY FOR PROTECTION FROM THE LORD

David models the practice of approaching the Lord and requesting protection. David’s approach comes with the confidence that the Lord will hear and respond to his request. David’s certainty occurs because of the historical faithfulness of the Lord in his life and because of the response of David in faith to the promises and work of the Lord.

Today, we must pray for protection from the Lord. This prayer must occur with a heart of faith and trust that prays with certainty because one rests in the Lord. We must recall the historical faithfulness of the Lord in our lives and hold firm to the certainty of God’s promises for the future. These two realities provide the foundation to approach the Lord in prayer for protection.  

GUARD AGAINST SOCIAL CONFORMITY

David knew that social relationships and social norms could tempt one to abandon the ways of the Lord for the ways of the world. David sought to guard the self against these threats and instead set a course to follow the Lord. In Romans 12, the apostle Paul noted the threat of conformity and called believers to live transformed instead. David saw the threat of conformity and sought to overcome it.  

Today, we live in a culture that demands we accept and adopt their practices. The world attempts to redefine what God has already defined and made clear. We must assess our lives and see where we are tempted to conform to the ways and message of the world. When these areas are identified, we must take the needed steps to guard our lives so that we may live transformed.  

TAKE THE PROTECTIVE STEPS

We must take the protective steps necessary to overcome the temptation to conform to the world's ways and produce evil deeds. First, we must recognize the threat. We must live with alert eyes to see the threats that come at us to cause us to stumble into sin. We must notice the ambitions of the flesh, the conformity to the world's values, and the constant onslaught of the evil one. When we recognize the threat, we actively enter the position of dealing with the temptation.

Second, we must resist the threat. Once the threat becomes recognized, we must guard against the onslaught of temptation. The threat to living for the Lord comes from various directions and attacks the unguarded areas. When we develop an approach to guarding our lives, we must analyze our weaknesses and ensure those areas have strong protection against the world's threats.

Third, we must rest in the Lord. The strength needed to remain alert and on guard does not come from us, but the power, strength, and certainty needed come from the Lord alone. When we rest in the Lord, we place ourselves in complete trust and understand that he strengthens us and protects us. Thus, resting in the Lord means we find peace and victory in the Lord alone.

Fourth, we must pursue righteousness. When we pursue righteousness, we seek to know the ways of the Lord and live those out obediently. Pursuing righteousness occurs as we strive to illuminate the Lord and live in obedience. Pursuing righteousness is a life seeking to worship the Lord through obedience constantly.

We must seek protection from the Lord as we navigate life. As a follower of Christ, we face a temptation that leads us away from the ways and will of the Lord. As a result, we must ask the Lord to give us the strength, ability, and guidance to live victoriously over the temptations to fall into evil around us. Are you following the model of David and the model in the Lord’s prayer asking the Lord to deliver you from evil?