DAVID, DANIEL AND YOU

"Set a guard O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies." Psalm 141:3-4 ESV
The exiled young priest Daniel had probably sung this song of David all of his life. So, when he found himself in the captive court of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, he refused the rich food of the king's banquet table, opting instead for a spartan diet of vegetables. There is a spiritual principle involved here that modern disciples of Jesus need to know and follow.
It is centered in the pressure to "fit in", to seek the favor of reigning political power. Quite often that pressure begins to manifest itself with words and ideas that ignore the word spoken by God. David uniquely represented both worlds simultaneously. Yet there were those around him who constantly attempted to control his actions in an evil {ungodly) way.
There was a time when I too thought that in order to "fit in" I should laugh at others dirty jokes and throw in some of my own colorful language. That becomes a habit which can easily morph into a lifestyle. I feel certain that David was often tempted to sit at the wrong table and share a few of his own choice thoughts. I can't really see Daniel doing something like that but he was a captive in a foreign land and totally at the mercy of his captors - or was he? His story proves that the king wasn't powerful enough to take Daniel's life, much less control his faith.
I want to urge my blog readers to closely monitor what comes out of your mouth. Your enemy is always listening, watching and waiting for just the right circumstance to step in with his exquisitely crafted temptation that is designed for control.
Sing David's song and ask God to "keep watch" over the door to your heart that your words depict. Stay alert for those who will entice you to become someone other than God's servant by inviting you to "come sit at our table". It might be an evil place. As David said, God will always send you a "righteous one" whose rebuke may sting a bit, but let it be like "oil for my head". HALLELUJAH!