It Shall Not Cling To Me!

Some mornings God takes you somewhere that seems almost irrelevant and accidental.
Ahh.. but nothing really is.

Psalm 101:3 in the King James Version says this, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

The writer of Psalms here is determining that he will not set any evil before his eyes. He will not purpose in his heart, nor in his mind, to look long into the face of wickedness.

And perhaps because he knew the dangers that come with beholding dis-figuration too long. He says, in essence, "I will not set before my eyes any evil that will stir up my imagination, or allow my thoughts to be consumed with hatred and disgust. I will not set it before me, I will not meditate on it, I will not imitate the pattern of it, or copy it's template.

The word used in the KJV, "cleave", means this, "to adhere closely, stick, cling, remain faithful to." In other words, the Psalmist is saying he will not let the evil work stick to him, cling to him; he will not be faithful to it. He is choosing to have no familiarity with it, nor any communion with it.

And so I pose the question before me: How do I refuse to put any wicked thing before me?

I know I can pray against it.
I know I can plead the promises of God over my life.
I know I can trust in His working all things out for my good.
And I know I can serve Jesus with everything I have, while avoiding, at all cost, any opportunity for sin to creep into my life.
I can keep vigilant over what I focus on, and refuse anything that does not make His name more famous.

We have a choice to let evil be our fixation, and to allow it to cling to us... or let victory and love be our focus, and allow it be that which every area of our lives is most known for.

I will, instead, "...set the Lord always before me... because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." (Psalm 16:8)

I will set NO wicked thing before my eyes. It shall not cling to me!