The Sinful Plot Evil
As we finish out the week looking at the first few verses of Psalm 36, we see David’s words in verse 4 which say this about sinful people: “Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.”
Power of Imagination
If you had to think about your own sin struggles, what role would you say that imagination plays in the process? Let me read you some words from Warren Weirsbe to try explain what I am getting at: “The imagination is the “womb” out of which either evil or good is born. People who can plan evil things that hurt others can also plan good things that will help others. The imagination needs to be cleansed and kept pure before God so He can use it in His service. Only God can change the sinful heart, and God’s people must take care to guard their hearts against evil.”
Do you see his point? Imagination is where either good or evil is born. Usually a thought pops into your mind, and you begin to build on that thought, and imagine where it could lead you. And this is a good thing when it comes to good thoughts, but it’s a bad thing when it comes to sinful thoughts.
Avoiding Sinful Thoughts
David says that sinful people sit on their beds and plot evil, and commit themselves to sinful courses. This begins when that thought comes into your mind, and instead of killing it instantly, you play with it and let it develop.
In what sense do you ‘plot evil’ then? Do you dream of conversations you may have with people to put them in their place? Do you plan out ways to pursue ungodly things?
Planning for Righteousness
Another word for ‘plot’ here might be ‘plan’. And so here’s an angle to take on this verse today: What plans do you have in place for when a tempting thought comes into your mind?
You see, without a plan for good action, you’ll probably just begin letting the sinful thought take root and develop. And perhaps before you really even know it, you’ve acted out again, or gone too far again – you committed yourself to a sinful course (to use David’s words) because you never plotted out a godly course to rather take.
If you are vulnerable to a certain type of sin or temptation, plan how to deal with it. Decide, that when a temptation comes in that direction, you are going to flee it by: reciting this Scripture, phoning this friend, getting up and moving away from that area, and so on.
If you fail to plan, you may as well plan to fail.
Sinful and ungodly temptations will come always, every day, but friends it is up to us to choose not to begin plotting and planning sinful courses when they come, but rather to stamp out those thoughts and, as David said, to reject what is wrong.
Then our lives will honour the God who loves us so.
