“Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.” Psalm 39:8 NIV
The foolish are the godless who are quick to pounce on any failure on the part of believers. David prays that they would not have occasion to scoff at him. For that to be true, David knows that he needs to be delivered from his sins. David was aware that his words of complaint might be misunderstood or misinterpreted in the wrong company. He wanted to be careful not to say anything in the midst of his trials that would cast God in a bad light. So, he muzzles his mouth. To grow in holiness, we must learn to muzzle our mouths too. James 3:8 says that the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With that poisonous tongue, we can damage and even destroy lives, families and entire churches. We should rather use our words to glorify God and build up His people. David wanted to be rid of all his transgressions. Since all sin begins in our minds, to be holy in our behaviour, we have to judge our sins on the thought level. Jesus explained this in Mark 7:21-23. Jesus also gives the positive side in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Hunger and thirst are strong motivators. When we hunger and thirst, we recognize our need. Sadly, even God’s people often do not sense their intense need for holiness, and so they dabble with it. But they don’t hunger and thirst for it. How do we develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness? One means that God often uses are trials. As it happened with David. So, to live for the Lord, we must put all our hope in the Lord and strive for holiness.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord, through our trials may we hunger and thirst for You.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, as with David, may we hunger and thirst after You, growing in holiness, as we put our hope in You, and You alone. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
1 Kings 5:1-12
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