Every Christian wants to please God. We do that by living lives worthy of Him; by praising, honouring, and thanking Him for all He’s done for us. When we don’t please God, we’re disappointed with ourselves. For a lifetime we’ll battle the world, the sinful flesh, and the devil, and for that we need strength and wisdom. Psalm 141 provides us with both these qualities.

Psalm 141 shares much in common with the previous psalm. Again, David is being pursued by enemies who have set traps to capture him (vv. 9–10). Again, he asks God to bring justice, by saving him and judging the wicked.

However, what makes this psalm different is the attention David pays to his own behaviour. In His Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said, “Lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13). This is David’s prayer in Psalm 141 also, and in the psalm he gives us three pieces of advice on how we can remain faithful to God.

First, we should pray (Psalm 141:1–2). As we’ve just seen from Jesus’ model prayer, one request we can make is that God keep us from temptation and evil, the very things David will go on to talk about in the psalm. Where do we find strength to fight sin and temptation? Not in ourselves. Our flesh is weak and the pull of the world strong. But God has promised that He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). So, pray.

Second, keep good company (Psalm 141:3–4). David asks God to help him guard his tongue, and not to have his heart drawn away to evil. This can easily happen when we associate with people whose words and lifestyles are sinful. Of course, we can’t shut ourselves off from the world but, in Paul’s words, we mustn’t “conform to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2). Or, in the colourful words of Psalm 141, “Do not let me eat their delicacies” (v. 4) One could add, they look and taste delicious, but they are poison.

Finally, accept the rebuke of a righteous person (vv. 5–6). The 19th-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “Depend upon it, the man who will tell you your faults is your best friend. It may not be a pleasant thing for him to do, and he knows that he is running the risk of losing your friendship; but he is a true and sincere friend.” I’m married to a godly woman who loves me very much. One of the many ways she displays her love is telling me the hard things I need to hear about myself. She’s almost always right, and I’m better and wiser for listening to her. Such friendships should be pursued—not shunned.