I was reminded this morning in my study, that we are able to keep from sin when we have God’s Word on our heart. The passage I was led to is titled in my ESV Bible, “Warnings Against Adultery”, but the lesson of course is much more.

“²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

²¹Bind them on your heart always;

tie them around your neck.”

“²⁴to preserve you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.”

— Proverbs 7:20-21&24 (ESV)

We can see that we are to listen to the teachings of our mothers and fathers, of course including God. And we are to keep them on our heart always. The reason here is to keep us from the temptation of and falling into the traps of women who are not our wives. Yet, I am able to attribute verses 20 and 21 above to anything that would or is sinful. When we have the Word of the LORD on our hearts, we will focus on His word.

“²²When you walk, they will lead you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

and when you awake, they will talk with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,”

— Proverbs 7:22-23 (ESV)

And here is the how. When we are focused on the Word of the LORD, we are focused on Him as we go through our days, when we go to bed, and when we wake from sleep. There is no room for darkness and evil as the Light of the LORD shines on us continually. So, with the Word of the LORD on our heart, the room for sinning is minimized. We are looking for and to the LORD continually and therefor not distracted by sinful desires.

I pray daily for my forgiveness of sin. I pray that the LORD will forgive me for those sins that I have committed and those that I will commit. And, I also pray that He will keep me from sin. And then I have to take action based on my prayer. That action is to put down the distractions and dive into the Word of God. I do so by prayer, reading His Word, and other actions focused on Him to keep from wandering into the temptations of the world and the evil that is in it.

Now, I do not want to come off as “holier than thou”. I sin all day long and I am not always good at picking up God’s Word to avoid distractions. I am tempted and distracted by the world and the evil in it. And where there is no excuse for my action and sin, I confess my sins to the LORD and refocus on His Word and give it a go the following day. Remember, I and you are sinners always and forever. But we do have the LORD and His Word to guide us daily and can work to keep away from sin when we focus on Him and His Word that is on our heart.

How are you going about keeping from sin? Are you giving it your all based on simply being a good person? What if you were to focus on the LORD and His Word that is on your heart to keep you from sin?