Gospel Reflections #1194: To say a clear ‘NO’

Psalm 119:115 ‘Depart from me, you who plot evil; I keep the precepts of my God.’

This verse declares a break with those who do evil and expresses a firm resolve to keep God’s commandments thoroughly.

Most of Psalm 119 is structured around David addressing God, speaking of ‘the splendour of His Word’ and ‘prayers in the midst of suffering’.

However, in this verse 115, he exceptionally turns his gaze away from God and boldly commands those who ‘do evil’—who lead him astray and cause him suffering—to ‘depart from me’.

This is a manifestation of David’s profound sense of crisis and his resolute determination.

The reason why David sought to keep the wicked at a distance is linked to the words in the latter part of the verse: ‘I keep the precepts of my God’.

Continuing to associate closely with those who walk in the ways of evil dulls the will to obey God’s commands and becomes the greatest temptation to shake one’s faith.

It teaches us a practical wisdom for daily life: ‘In order to obey God, we must first distance ourselves (or break away from) relationships and environments that hinder our faith.’

Here, David refers to God not simply as ‘God’, but as ‘my God’.

This demonstrates his firm conviction in his faith: it is precisely because he has a deep, personal relationship of trust with God that he is able to maintain a resolute stance without yielding to the world’s values or the pressure of the wicked.

This passage shows us how we should safeguard our faith in a society rife with temptation.

The first step towards living by God’s Word is to have the strength to say a clear ‘NO’ at times and to set boundaries for ourselves against people with malicious intent or environments that seek to lead us away from God’s teachings.

To this end, any sense of unease or restlessness in our hearts in any situation is a sign from God, giving us the opportunity to make choices with courage.

Although we are weak and foolish beings, by entrusting ourselves to our perfect God, we are guided so that we may keep His commandments.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.