February 5 ~ Psalms 141
I pray to you, LORD! Please listen when I pray and hurry to help me. Think of my prayer sweet-smelling incense, and think of my lifted hands as an evening sacrifice. Help me to guard my words whenever I say something. Don't let me want to do evil or waste my time doing wrong with wicked people. Don't let me even taste the good things they offer. Let your faithful people correct and punish me. My prayers condemn the deeds of those who do wrong, so don't let me be friends with any of them. Everyone will admit that I was right when their rulers are thrown down a rocky cliff, and their bones lie scattered like broken rocks on top of a grave. You are my LORD and God, and I look to you for safety. Don't let me be harmed. Protect me from the traps of those violent people, and make them fall into their own traps while you help me escape.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We are all about protection. We slather on sunscreen before venturing outside. We buckle up our seatbelt before we leave the driveway or parking lot. We wear sunglasses to block harmful UV rays. We use an oven mitt or a pot holder to lift a hot dish from the stove or oven. We fingerprint our small children and place them in the requisite child safety seats when traveling by car or truck. And these days, we carry a hand sanitizer in our pocket or purse – and some even wear a face mask when out in public – to prevent exposure to harmful viruses.
Given all of this, it seems rather strange that we often fail to pray for the most important protection of our day – God’s! We don’t seem to realize that starting the day by asking God to guide our steps and protect us from saying the wrong thing, spending time with the wrong people, and even being tempted to sin are more important than any SPF factor, seatbelt, or hand sanitizer. We need the Spiritual “mask” and armor of God to really save us each day!
Psalms 141 is a great prayer to pray. If you did nothing but read these words each morning… speaking them from your heart to God… this would be a good starting place. Another trick might be to stop for a second every time that you buckle your seatbelt or wash your hands each day and just say, “Lord, I look to you for my safety today.” Get in the habit of seeking God’s protection. Don’t leave home without it!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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