"Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not" — Psalm 17:4-5
Morally, men tend to think in shades of gray. Scripture, rightly understood, denies us that luxury. With God, what is not quite right is wrong. Period. "Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin (see Rom. 14:23!). That may explain the peculiar conjunction here of "the works of men" and "the paths of the destroyer. What is implied is that the works of men apart from God, are pursued in the paths of the destroyer. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [Prov. 14:12, 16:25]." The ways of death and the paths of the destroyer are, it seems to me, synonymous. The life that pleases God is diametrically opposite that which pleases the sons of men. In the real world, that represents slippery going for the committed believer.
David recognized and acknowledged the hazard, when he prayed, "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." And, he recognized the need for divine enabling to stay on "the right track" spiritually. Prayer is vital to maintaining our spiritual direction in a world of confusion and distraction.
No less important, however, is purpose. A fine illustration of purpose, in addition to that before us, is Daniel's stand before Nebuchadnezzar. We read that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself… [Dan. 1:8]." Purpose demands direction, and the moral compass for the believer is the Word of God. David said, "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."
In this we are reminded of Another Who employed the word of God to keep Him from the paths of the destroyer. Tempted in the wilderness over the three "paths" of the Destroyer, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, the Savior employed in each instance the word of God for His defense: "It is written." He would not compromise the word of God for any personal advantage the Destroyer had to offer (See Luke 4:1-13), "leaving us an example, that [we] should follow His steps."
The word of God illuminates the pathway of righteousness for the believer: "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [Ps. 119:105]." It is the weapon with which we can defend ourselves against the Destroyer; the "sword of the Spirit [Eh. 6:17]." And, it is an essential adjunct to prayer if we are to keep our feet from slipping in life's slippery places. We are to "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and "[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ," if we are going to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Prayer without the knowledge of the word will be aimless. And the word without prayer will be powerless. We need both if we are to succeed in fulfilling God's will for our lives.
One of our military slogans is, "Know your enemy." Too many believers are quite ignorant of the foe we have to contend with, or do not take him seriously. Knowledge of God's word will give us a proper perspective, and that will motivate us to prayer. In Satan we have a personal foe whose objective is our destruction. In Christ we have a personal Friend whose objective is our deliverance and victory. Let us lay hold of the resources God has made available for our walk and spiritual welfare.
For victory,
"Pastor" Frasier
Morally, men tend to think in shades of gray. Scripture, rightly understood, denies us that luxury. With God, what is not quite right is wrong. Period. "Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin (see Rom. 14:23!). That may explain the peculiar conjunction here of "the works of men" and "the paths of the destroyer. What is implied is that the works of men apart from God, are pursued in the paths of the destroyer. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [Prov. 14:12, 16:25]." The ways of death and the paths of the destroyer are, it seems to me, synonymous. The life that pleases God is diametrically opposite that which pleases the sons of men. In the real world, that represents slippery going for the committed believer.
David recognized and acknowledged the hazard, when he prayed, "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." And, he recognized the need for divine enabling to stay on "the right track" spiritually. Prayer is vital to maintaining our spiritual direction in a world of confusion and distraction.
No less important, however, is purpose. A fine illustration of purpose, in addition to that before us, is Daniel's stand before Nebuchadnezzar. We read that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself… [Dan. 1:8]." Purpose demands direction, and the moral compass for the believer is the Word of God. David said, "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."
In this we are reminded of Another Who employed the word of God to keep Him from the paths of the destroyer. Tempted in the wilderness over the three "paths" of the Destroyer, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, the Savior employed in each instance the word of God for His defense: "It is written." He would not compromise the word of God for any personal advantage the Destroyer had to offer (See Luke 4:1-13), "leaving us an example, that [we] should follow His steps."
The word of God illuminates the pathway of righteousness for the believer: "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [Ps. 119:105]." It is the weapon with which we can defend ourselves against the Destroyer; the "sword of the Spirit [Eh. 6:17]." And, it is an essential adjunct to prayer if we are to keep our feet from slipping in life's slippery places. We are to "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and "[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ," if we are going to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Prayer without the knowledge of the word will be aimless. And the word without prayer will be powerless. We need both if we are to succeed in fulfilling God's will for our lives.
One of our military slogans is, "Know your enemy." Too many believers are quite ignorant of the foe we have to contend with, or do not take him seriously. Knowledge of God's word will give us a proper perspective, and that will motivate us to prayer. In Satan we have a personal foe whose objective is our destruction. In Christ we have a personal Friend whose objective is our deliverance and victory. Let us lay hold of the resources God has made available for our walk and spiritual welfare.
For victory,
"Pastor" Frasier
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