King David was a man after God’s own heart. Are we willing to listen and learn from him?

8 Hear, my child, your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
19:18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

As I was reading Psalms yesterday morning, I read Psalm 141, which has some very interesting verses in it:

³ Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.

In our conversations, are we building up or tearing down? Discerning the difference is a Holy Spirit thing. We must be in tune with Him in order to discern the difference BEFORE we speak.

⁴ Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.

There’s something we know about our hearts: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9. With the right enticement, all of us are prone to temptation. Sin is enjoyable–for a while; then we begin to recognize the cords that tie us up (Proverbs 5:22). We must be diligent, but more than that, we must trust in and rely on the Spirit of Jesus to lead us, hold us back, and reprove us when necessary.

⁵ Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers [will not take part with them].

Speaking of reproving, His reproof may come in the form of a brother or sister in Christ rebuking us. Even if the rebuke is scathing, we must endure and heed that rebuke as God’s words to our ears. If the rebuke is Scripturally sound, then it surely is! Consider it Christ’s discipline, “My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the child he delights in.” Proverbs 3:11-12.

Tomorrow, I will ask you a difficult question. It is based upon Acts 5:20, “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people all about this new life.” I can share part of the question with you:

Is Jesus worth the risk?

Abba, as we look at the apostles’ lives and what You meant to them, may we get a perspective that helps us to understand just what You have done in our lives. I suspect that most of us take the Good News about You lightly because we don’t really comprehend the lengths You went for us and for all people. If we did, I believe that we would take much more seriously our walk with You, how we treat each other, and we would be far more concerned about those who don’t know You. Instead of flirting with sin, we would be focused on You and Your will. Give us discernment, O Lord. Give us understanding. Amen.