With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments! Psalm 119.10
Once again our psalmist friend declares his devotion to Jesus. He seeks Him with his whole heart. And that is quite an achievement. And yet, the next line of his prayer is at least a bit of a surprise. Why would someone with such devotion be concerned about wandering away from God's commands? He is concerned, and rightly so, because he understands the power of sin. While our friend is one of the saints he still sins, and he knows that. And sin deceives. What can, at first, appear to be little sins can later show themselves as having great consequences. How sinful could it be to take a little bite out of a piece of fruit? Ask Adam and Eve.
Our friend understands something of the power of sin. He knows that one 'little' sin can lead to more sin, and that can lead to 'wandering away'. And wandering away from the commands - refusing to obey - means wandering away from Jesus who gave those commands. And life without Jesus is no life at all.
But please notice how he deals with this threat. He does not panic nor plot some grand strategy so that he will keep himself safe. No, rather, he prays. And that makes so much sense when you remember whom he prays to. He prays to his Savior. And his request is clear. 'Save me from my sin.' He knows left to himself he is unable to save himself from the temptations that will result in wandering. But he is not called to save himself. That's what Jesus is for. So, aware of the danger, he calls to his faithful Savior to continually be a savior to him. Doing that, he will be kept safe. After all, will Jesus ignore such prayers?