May 10, 2022 -- Psalm 141:1-4 -- An Appropriate Morning Prayer

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O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 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 141:1-4 ESV

This is an appropriate Psalm for the start of the day! The writer is seeking the protection of the LORD right from the outset of the day and imploring Him for His help to continue till the time when evening sacrifices are made. That makes sense, I too, need the help of the LORD all day and all night!

There is a verb which made me recall an earlier Bible scene. It is the verb guard. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the LORD cast them out of that beautiful place. He placed a mighty angel at the entrance to the Garden, with a flaming sword that turned every way so that no one could pass by it and take from the Tree of Life—and live in sin for all ages. It is that picture which comes to mind as I read verse 3—that the LORD Himself in the same way, guard my mouth, even with a flaming sword so that no words would pass my lips that are ungracious, defaming of His glory, or discrediting to my Christian walk.

Thanks be to God, by His Spirit’s presence, my heart is becoming purified and my thoughts are being cleansed, but I know so much wickedness can still well up from within me. The Living Water given in Jesus Christ is constantly flowing into my mind, heart and life, displacing the cesspools of evil which are even now are becoming diluted from evil and cleansed.

I appreciate the urgency of the psalm-writer, who is asking for the power of God to resist the company of friends or co-workers, or family members—those who might have a claim on our lives—and use this claim to draw us into immoral or gross behavior. Even food can become a snare because it is at the table of friends we can let down our guard and engage in sinful words, or joking which lead to greater sins.

Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father and the Son give to believers the Holy Spirit, the very Person of Power Who strengthened Jesus in His humanity. As the Spirit guarded Jesus, so that same Spirit is given to you and to me, so that we have all things that pertain to life and godliness and knowledge. Now that is a great start to the day.

O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 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!
But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Psalm 141:1-4, 8 ESV

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