Psalm 141

You hear us when we pray, and you speak to us when we read your word. We pray now that as we read it, you would let us understand it, and that you would work in our hearts that we would believe it and live it. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, here we go. Psalm 141. Page off there. Psalm 141, a Psalm of David. Lord, I cry to you, make haste to me. Give ear to my voice when I cry to you. Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing. To practice wicked works with men who work iniquity. And do not let me eat of their delicacies. Let the righteous strike me, it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me, it shall be as excellent oil. Let my hand not refuse it, for still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. Their judgments are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, and they hear my words, for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, as when one plows and breaks up the earth. But my eyes are on you, O God, the Lord, in you I take refuge. Do not leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets. while I escape safely." Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do in response to these words? So, A, what is this about?
Well, this is David crying out to God. Crying out to God because people are speaking evil things against him. People are saying things that are wicked and wrong about him. And he asked God to guard his lips to be like a lock on a door. Don't let me say whatever I want to say, Lord, but care for me. He says, let the righteous strike me and it shall be kindness. If they're saying good things and they're rebuking me for good things, good. But they're not. They're saying wrong things, evil things against me. But where does he go? And where does David go in all of this trial and turmoil? But my eyes are on you, O God the Lord. In you I take refuge. Do not leave my soul destitute.
Now, there's a whole lot we can say in here about the tongue, you know. The book of James has a whole lot to say about the tongue. If you can tame your tongue, you're a perfect person, right? You are a perfect man if you're able to control your own language, if you are able to show that self-control in your own heart. And he's saying, God, control my tongue, right? This is one of the fruits of the Spirit, having self-control of our tongue.
My mind is immediately drawn to Christ, though. Jesus is there and he's time and time again being assaulted verbally by those around him, especially by the Pharisees who are saying about him that, you know, it's by Beelzebub that he casts out the demons, right? They call him the prince of demons. They call him a liar, right? They're verbally assaulting him with their mouths. And yet Jesus still trusts his father. Yet Jesus still is like a lamb led to slaughter.
I think there's a great blessing we have here also, knowing that that same Jesus who has been tempted in every way we are yet without sin, that same Jesus is the one who hears our prayers now. It is Jesus who is the one who intercedes for us as our high priest.
He continually makes intercession for us. This is part of his office as being our priest. And so when we pray, this imagery here of the incense raising up into heaven, it's like our prayers leave our mouth, the Holy Spirit takes it to the Son, the Son receives it, makes them perfect and brings them to the Father for us. What a comfort we have in knowing that our triune God cares for us in prayer and we can rest in Him. Let's go to prayer now. Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit.
We thank you that when we are being assaulted, that we can trust in you, that we can pray to you and you hear our prayers. God, we pray that you would work in our hearts, that we would turn towards you. When the wicked rebuke us, Lord, we pray that we would turn to you. And when the righteous rebuke us, we pray that we would repent. Father, we pray that you would give us control over our tongues. And most of all, may our hearts rest in you. In Jesus's name. Amen. May the Lord bless you today. May he fill you with joy and peace as you rest in Jesus Christ. And may your time of prayer be sweet with him. And I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.