Tuesday 4 Jul 2023

July 4: Psalm 26:4-7

Key Verse: Psalm 26:5
I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.

Devotion:
Where do you spend most of your time? Is it with friends and family or maybe at your place of work… How much do you think your life is influenced by the people around you? How often do you give in to temptations? Do you see where I am going with this? The more time we spend with people the more likely we are going to get into the same things they do...

We can read many stories in our bibles where people gave in to the temptations around them, but not before God had warned people they would fall into temptation. This is why we should be listening closer to our God than to the world around us. God knows which deeds will tempt you the most and will try to warn you away from them – as long as you are willing to listen to Him!

Here the psalmist is pleading with God to continue to protect him from the evil around him. His mind is set on God but he is honest and knows the temptations will be great and this is what he is afraid of. If you are not afraid of temptations then you are probably fooling yourself because they are not called temptations for nothing!

To be close to God means keeping God close to you.  This is where He would rather be and this is where He can give you the most protection, not because He is going to do everything for you but because you are less likely to run in the opposite direction than if you are surrounded by temptations.

Points to Ponder:
Where do your temptations come from?

How much time do you spend with them?