Psalm 141

Here is a Song of immense practical value for the righteous of all ages.  The question is, “How can the godly live godly in an unrighteous world?”  Given our enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, how can we ever hope to be faithful in our walk?  This Psalm gives us the right focus as well as very practical helps.

·         141:1-2: Our brother turns us to the Lord from the very start.  When he is beset by the workers of iniquity (v4,9) and facing a struggle in his own heart and soul (v4,8) his cry is not to his mentors or parents or best friends; it is to the Lord!  All of the above may be used in our sanctification but our focus must be on God.  So first, as regular as the evening sacrifice, lift your prayer to God as you seek help in walking in righteousness.

·         141:3-4: We must have the restraint of the Lord.  We must ask Him to be on 24/7 patrol, something we cannot do in the flesh.  This is a Psalm of David so we are hearing the Old Testament saint plead for God’s guarding and keeping.  God promises the saints of the Church He is able to keep them (Jude 24-25) and preserve them blameless (1 Thess. 5:23).  And remember that our Lord Jesus promised a Helper/Advocate to help us at all times, the Holy Spirit whom He would send in His absence (John 14:15-18).  This is a great prayer given us by David.  Let us ask God to guard our tongue and our heart.

·         141:5-7: We must have the reproof of the Lord.  Notice: David pleads for the righteous to strike him; but to whom does he plead?  It is to the Lord!  The Lord, our Father who loves us enough to reprove and chasten us (Heb. 12:5-6, a quote of Prov. 3:11; so again we see a truth for saints of all ages).  Friend, examine your heart in this matter!  Do you resist God’s chastening?  You may accept the chastening of some physical or financial trial.  But what about God’s chastening through your brother in Christ?  What is common in our society is that when a brother reproves us we just change churches.  But what David says here (how it is better to be judged by the righteous than the unrighteous) is repeated for the Church by Paul (1 Cor. 6:1-8).  Let us not just endure this reproof; like David let us cry out to God for it.

·         141:8-10: We must have the refuge of the Lord.  1 Cor. 10:13 promises that God will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to withstand with His help.  Jesus instructed us to pray for deliverance from temptation (Matt. 6:13).  Psalm 125:3 promises that things will never become so difficult that the righteous must reach out their hands to iniquity.  In the same vein as these passages we here have David, setting his focus on the Lord for refuge.  This must be our constant experience, that God is watching over us even when we do not realize it.  In this way we are trusting His protection as well as His righteousness, that in all things God is the Sovereign.

Let us so walk, praying without ceasing for His restraint, reproof and refuge.