Day 204, Year 1

Resisting Evil Influence

“<To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.> I said, ‘I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.'” (Psalm 39:1 NKJV)

If many people complain about God, it might be difficult for an individual to resist the group pressure not to complain about Him. Yet, David was determined not to follow the wicked and to restrain his mouth with a muzzle, so that he would not commit the sin with the tongue. Similarly, we, as believers, should apply wisdom and understanding to prevent our tongues from sinning and to pray for the Lord’s help and more wisdom to triumph over the influence of the wicked. The wicked might cause the righteous to stumble and sin in at least two ways.

First, as mentioned yesterday, the Israelites complained against God over the tedious food in the wilderness. It is human nature for most people to feel happy when advancing from poverty to wealth, while those experiencing distress, including from wealth to poverty, tend to complain. Hence, the Israelites, having left behind a place of abundance, found it difficult to accept the manna provided by God, at least in terms of taste. While many did complain to Him, spiritual believers would refuse to do so, for they possess strong willpower and the ability to distinguish right from wrong accurately. Meanwhile, these believers who do not follow the crowd could rely on their intuition, conscience, and the Holy Spirit to discern the evil done by others and thus avoid following them. So, if we want to be like David, who pleased God, we should be determined to reject evil and forbid our tongues from sinning with many rehearsals to resisting sinners. 

Second, the evil of the wicked is a true test of whether God’s goodness is in believers or not. Habitually accepting unrighteous oppression from others will distort the oppressed’s hearts and make them more likely to become accomplices to the oppressor, or even attract other oppressors. Besides, when facing various schemes or attacks of the wicked, it is difficult for people to defend themselves without resorting to sinful ways in retaliation. It is easy for the hatred and malice of others to trigger one’s hatred and anger against the enemy in front of them, leading one to do evil recklessly. Facing the wicked, people are easily corrupted and have the wickedness within them unleashed. Once irritated or provoked, with negative emotions clouding their minds, they might do evil things they would not normally do. Thus, when we are attacked by the wicked, it is an opportunity for us to know ourselves better, for the wickedness in our hearts might surprise us. However, God’s goodness should prevail over our wickedness in the end.

Reflection questions: 

1) Are you able to overcome group pressure with ease and resist following the crowd to sin or make mistakes? If you are vulnerable to group influence, how would you overcome it by relying on the Lord?

2) Do you have the confidence to rely on the Lord to conquer the sin that arises inside you when facing the wicked attack? Why?