Proactive Against Sin
I love this verse. The Psalmist says that he "keeps his feet from every evil path" so that he might obey God's Word.
I often find myself thinking and praying, "I will obey God's Word, and this will keep me from evil". Here, the Psalmist is indicating that He's being proactive in doing this the other way around.
He's keeping Himself AWAY from the streets of evil, so THAT he will KEEP God's Word.
How does this translate to us in today's culture?
By turning off TV shows that clearly have R- or MA- rated programming - you are keeping your feet OFF the evil path that could plant seeds of hate, violence, lust, pornography, and sensual desires in your mind. Then, you are more prone to keep God's Word about keeping ourselves holy and pure.
When a conversation starts around the workplace about other people, and is gossip-centered, we can walk away quietly from that conversation, rather than staying and listening - making us get off the path that would lead us into the temptation to engage and join in with gossip and slander.
These are just simple examples, but they could apply to so many other things.
Are we desiring to keep God's Word? If so, we should do more than just "read" God's Word. We should position ourselves on paths that will lead us to opportunities of obedience and edification, not on paths that can clearly lead to compromise and sin.
I often find myself thinking and praying, "I will obey God's Word, and this will keep me from evil". Here, the Psalmist is indicating that He's being proactive in doing this the other way around.
He's keeping Himself AWAY from the streets of evil, so THAT he will KEEP God's Word.
How does this translate to us in today's culture?
By turning off TV shows that clearly have R- or MA- rated programming - you are keeping your feet OFF the evil path that could plant seeds of hate, violence, lust, pornography, and sensual desires in your mind. Then, you are more prone to keep God's Word about keeping ourselves holy and pure.
When a conversation starts around the workplace about other people, and is gossip-centered, we can walk away quietly from that conversation, rather than staying and listening - making us get off the path that would lead us into the temptation to engage and join in with gossip and slander.
These are just simple examples, but they could apply to so many other things.
Are we desiring to keep God's Word? If so, we should do more than just "read" God's Word. We should position ourselves on paths that will lead us to opportunities of obedience and edification, not on paths that can clearly lead to compromise and sin.
