Devotions From The Psalms: Week Five

Previous Devotion

The struggles of youth are real, and they are serious. Hormones run rampant, testosterones are high. Curiosity is at its peak. And, life long habits are being formed. So, it is wise for a young man, or woman to ask, How can I keep pure? Saying, No! is not enough. Passion sometimes takes over, and the false notion of what love really is, confuses the issue. So, how is a young man or woman to keep pure?

Well, the psalmist has the answer. He too struggled with the emotions of youth, He asks:

Beth-- 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? Then answers with: By living according to your word. In other words, to keep pure; we must live according to God’s word.

Paul the Apostle must have had this verse in mind when he advised another young man.

“Timothy,” he said, “flee youthful lusts: follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22)

And, of course, today, the advice is still valid.

Now, let’s listen to the other ways David kept himself pure. He says:

10 I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

The Psalmist is not a passive bystander. “I will seek you with all my heart,” he affirms.

So, we see that the first step that David takes to make sure he has a pure heart, and obedient to the commands of God is that he will seek God with all of his heart.

The promise of God is, and has always been that if we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him.

Listen to God’s promise to Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The assurance is the same with Christ, who promised: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Luke 11:9

Now, let’s look at the steps David took to keep himself pure.

First of all, in verse 9, he says, a young man keeps himself pure by living according to God’s word.

Now, that is pretty good advice, when we consider all of the other possibilities. Think of the alternate paths a young person is offered in this sinful world. There is the feel good route of many talk show host, and secular psychologists. There is the easy route of giving in to peer pressure from young hedonists—and, college is full of them, today; sometimes even Christian colleges!

Temptations are pulling from every direction.

David’s answer to these distracting and sinful tugs and pulls on his life was to live according to God’s word, and to seek God with all his heart! (vs. 9, 10)

David then shows his seriousness by pleading with God to not let him stray from His commands. Of course, as we have already seen, God has no intention of forsaking anyone that seeks him with all their heart. Yet, we all must solemnly resolve to seriously seek God, and obey his Commandments—not just 10 of them; but all his commandments!

So, what did David do to fortify himself against the temptations of youth? He said,

11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

David, did the right thing. He tucked God’s word away in his heart as a buffer against temptation. He also realized that all sin is ultimately a sin against God.

Solomon, David’s son, collected a list of proverbs, and it is possible that he had this Psalm in mind when he wrote: “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he:” (Prov. 23:7) Of course, we do not know for sure; but, whether he took the proverb from the lips of his father, or someone else, it still stands true.

God’s word must become part of our thinking process. And, the only way that is made possible is by filling our heart, which is the very seat of your emotions, with the words of the Lord. As Saint Augustine said, “We must think God’s thoughts after Him.”

Prayer

Precious Holy Spirit, we pray today that you will strengthen us so that we may keep ourselves pure by living according to your word. For, we like David, have determined that we will seek you with all our heart. We have hidden your word in our hearts for that very purpose; therefore, we ask that you fortify us spiritually and emotionally so that we do not wander off track, and sin against you. In Christ matchless name, we pray. Amen