Psalm 17

“Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” Psalm 17:4-9 (NKJV)

Satan has a three-fold agenda: Steal, Kill, Destroy. (John 10:10) He wants to steal God’s sheep (us) by promising a better life if we reject God. He seeks to kill by stealing the seeds of the gospel, sown through evangelism. (Matthew 13:19). By doing so, Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy any hope that we may have of a joy-filled life and eternity with God. So, how does David stay away from the Destroyer (Satan)? By staying off the Destroyer’s path!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

And how does one ensure they do not travel in the Destroyer’s path, aka: “the path of sinners”? By seeking and obeying God’s Word, “the Word of Your lips.”

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”  Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

We must remember that while there are many “paths” promising to lead us to a joyful relationship with God (and many of those paths are seemingly trustworthy simply because they are ancient), there is only ONE true path.

“This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!”’  Jeremiah 6:16  (see also: John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14) (HCSB)

Notice how David communicates that while he stands blameless before the Lord when he wrote this psalm, he is not counting on his personal righteousness to deliver him. He relies on God’s right hand (Isaiah 41:10-13), confident that he is the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8-9) and will be gathered under His “wing  .”Are you willing to be gathered?

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”  Matthew 23:37 (NASB)