Monday, February 3, 2020

Psalm 119:97-104

Psalm 119:97-104 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There's a lot of temptation in the world.  Watching the Super Bowl ads last night, they're always trying to influence you're behavior -- not necessarily in a sinful way, but they're influencing you.  Many other things will influence you in a sinful way, leading you to idolatry or greed or lust.  Some of the more obvious things I notice.  Others... can be far more subtle.
  The Psalmist here points out that he keeps his way from every evil way.  That's hard.  Every.  Single.  One.  That takes incredible attention to notice them all -- and it's impossible.  Even when we can avoid the big ones, we can commit sins in the depths of our hearts that only Jesus notices.  But it's still sin.
  Thankfully, we don't have to achieve perfection.  We only need to focus on Christ and give thanks for the grace received through God.  We are called then to respond, to live a life of faithfulness as our attempt to honor God.  May we have the Holy Spirit wisdom to notice all the evil ways around us, and may we choose the narrow and faithful way.

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