Read Psalm 141
How many of you are tempted on a daily basis? I know I am. Whether it be gossiping with my coworkers (or even just nodding along) or being lazy when God has bigger plans for me, I am always being tempted.
This reminds me of the most well-known temptation story in the Bible. Whenever I read the story of Adam and Eve disobeying God, I usually think to myself, “How can they be so dumb? God specifically told them not to eat that fruit…” Because I’m such a rule follower, it honestly baffles me when people can’t and don’t follow rules. However, when I really think about temptation and how easy it is to be sucked in to what Satan wants, I am reminded that I am just like Adam and Eve every single day.
God has given us many rules to follow in the Bible, and even I, a serious rule follower, don’t abide. So how can we prevent temptation in our lives? We can start with prayer. Psalm 141 is a beautiful example of how we can pray against evil and temptation.
A part of the Psalm that really stood out to me was in verses 3 and 4 where David says,
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! 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!”
I had this image of little guards at their post on my heart and in my mouth and whenever I’m tempted to take part in evil, the guards poke and prod at me to remind me that I’m a part of a bigger story.
As members of the church and members of God’s family, we can act as these little guards for one another. Let us push one another away from evil and remind each other of the bigger picture. Let us also be fervent in prayer against temptation and evil, just like David.
--Bethany Powell