it is a heart issue!

Kristin Shepelwich

Central Truth

Because he is facing temptation, David is crying out to the Lord. David knows the evil desires that creep into his life and is begging for God's protection of his heart. David also values the criticism he receives from righteous men.

O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!
(Psalm 141:1)

Give Ear to My Voice

A Psalm of David.

1 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!

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
    let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,^{1

141:6
Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock}
    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
    so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.^{2

141:7
The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain}

8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!^{3

141:8
Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!}
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
    and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.

Footnotes

[1] 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock
[2] 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain
[3] 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!

Blogs have taken over our Internet world, as well as a lot of my time! I love reading blogs because I love reading about other people's lives. There are a few I read on a fairly consistent basis, and I've become invested in the writers' lives (or at least the lives they portray on their blogs).

I started thinking the other day about how someone else's ups and downs could be so fascinating to a random outsider. I realized that I pay so much attention because of the way in which these blog writers pour their life out for me to read! I love to read them because the writers are exposing so much of their hearts. The more open and vulnerable they are, the more I pay attention to what is happening in their lives. This made me wonder how much of my heart I pour out to my family, friends, and God. Sometimes, I am afraid to pour out too much of my heart because I am afraid of what others might think.

David begins this psalm by crying out to God, asking Him to come quickly, and praying that his heart would not be drawn to what is evil. Because David was so aware of what triggered the sin in his life, he knew he had to ask God to come quickly to protect his heart. Unlike me, David felt confident telling God his sins because he knew God would always listen to his prayers. Being open with God and asking God for protection were more important to him than protecting his image. What if we did that every day? David was honest with himself, with other godly people, and with God Himself. He wasn't afraid of what others thought. Instead, he poured out everything in his heart. If David wrote a blog, I'd read it every day!

1. Under what circumstances do you cry out to God with your struggles like David did?

2. What are the sins you feel uncomfortable sharing with God or with others?

3. Are there godly men or women in your life who are willing to help you with your struggles?