This was the prayer of the "man after God's own heart." If holy David needed to pray like this, how much more do we, still growing in grace, need the same? It's as if he's saying, "Hold me back, or I will fall into sin." Our sinful nature, like an unruly horse, easily goes astray. May God’s grace rein it in and keep us from harm.

Consider how much we could stumble without the Lord's guidance in both life and faith. The psalmist prays about the worst sin—those committed deliberately. Even the most devout need to be restrained from the gravest sins. It's serious when Paul warns believers against the most vile sins.

Paul writes, "Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry." Do believers really need warnings against these sins? Yes, they do. Even the purest among us, without God's grace, can be stained by the darkest sin.

Experienced Christians, don't take pride in your journey; you might still fall if you take your eyes off the one who keeps you steady. Even when your love is fervent, faith steady, and hope bright, don't say, "I'll never sin," but instead pray, "Lead us not into temptation." There's enough sin in the best of hearts to ignite a great fire, unless God extinguishes it. Who would have thought righteous Lot could fall into drunkenness and sin? Hazael said, "Is your servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" We often use the same self-righteous language. May God's wisdom heal us from such dangerous self-confidence.