Jim Gallagher

Psalm 7:15
“He made a pit and dug it out, 
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.”

If we were writing a comedic screenplay, we might want to include a character who designs an elaborate trap, only to unwittingly catch himself. While it might be quite humorous on the big screen, it is tragic in the real world. The psalmist reminds us,  one of the consequences of wicked living is, in the long run, we are actually setting a trap for ourselves. The day is coming when the cage will swing shut, and we will find ourselves enslaved by the very thing we were toying with. This happened to Samson who fooled around with Delilah, telling her to braid his hair or tie him up with new ropes. As time went on, he found himself enslaved to the Philistines. It happened to David, who fooled around with Bathsheba, first watching her bath then flirting with her. He soon found himself enslaved by his lust and caught in an ungodly relationship that had devastating effects upon his family. And it will happen to us, if we toy around with sin. Each time we dabble in unrighteous behavior, it is like putting the shovel in the ground. Day after day, the hole gets bigger until one day we find ourselves caught in a trap we dug for ourselves.

Fortunately, this does not have to be our end. If we have not yet been enslaved, there is still time to turn from our sin, and allow the Lord to restore us to Himself. While it may have taken a long time to drift from the Lord, we can be restored in a moment of time. We simply need to confess our sin, turn from it, and to Him. When we do, He will begin to fill the hole so we don’t become ensnared in it. But what if you are in the trap? Understand, there is still hope for you. No matter how far you have fallen, the arms of God are long enough to reach you. Cry out to Him to forgiveness and to deliverance . David wrote about how God brought him out of a pit, set his feet upon a rock, and even put a new song of praise in his mouth.

Pastor Jim

Psalm 7

1. Our access to God is not based upon our righteous living but upon His substitutionary death. That does not however remove the need for righteous living. David here bases his prayer upon the fact that he has been living for the Lord by living a right life toward others. How about you? How would you describe the way you are living toward the people in your walk of life?
2. What truth does David declare in verse 9?
3. One day God will fully redeem the righteous. When that happens He who is filled with mercy and grace will condemn the unrighteousness. Are you prepared for that day?
4. Notice and describe what happens to the unrighteousness according to verse 15 -16.

Old Testament:
Psalm 8- Glory Of Creation
1 Samuel 6- Hard Heart
1 Samuel 7- Will This Ever Work?