Psalm 141  David's prayer.   v 3-4 Two requests.   First, David asks for The Lord to set a guard over his mouth; then he asks The Lord to keep his heart free from evil/ wickedness.   Oh what a prayer! To  seek the Lord's presence and to ask The Lord to take charge of what we say and what we do.  Every day this is necessary for sin creeps into our hearts and comes out of our mouths.   Matthew Henry's commentary says that this is asking that Grace keep the door of my mouth so that I speak no words that dishonor God or hurt another.  It requests that GRACE restrain and mortify every inclination to sin in my heart, so that I will not practice any evil work, no matter what others around me do.  "And do not let me eat of their delicacies" David adds.  Oh the sweet temptations of this world that would turn me away from God, I pray that God will keep them from my sight and by His grace keep me from them. "I need Thee, O, I need Thee.  Every hour I need Thee!"  I echo David's prayer for myself.

Hosea 9-10  Ephraim and Israel are punished.  They have played the harlot, forsaking The Lord.  They have offered sacrifices that do not please Him.  They have "gone deep into depravity"  " All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more!" v13.   He who was formed to be a fruitful vine will be fruitless, stricken, a dried up root.  "You have plowed wickedness , you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies; Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors." 10:13    Exile, destruction, suffering came to Israel.  Their lies and rebellion cost them dearly.  But sad to say, they are still far from God.  They still "speak mere words with worthless oaths"

Yet God says " But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke;"  He will plow with Judah and Jacob.
"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness.  Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek The Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you" 10:12  Brings to mind the parable that Jesus told in Matt. 13.  The sower went out to sow seed, and some fell on the side of the road, some on rocky ground, some among the thorns, and some on good ground. Fallow - idle, uncultivated ground,  untrained, inactive, unproductive. The ground needs to be prepared for sowing, the heart needs to be prepared for righteousness.  God says He will come and put His yoke on His people.  Jesus says for us to come to Him for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.  Lord, may I be a plow in Your field,  preparing the ground for the sowing of the seed of righteousness. Of Your holy Word.
Amen