When I played Ultima V, I often get this message when I wake up from sleep (in the game) – “You have strayed far from the path of the Avatar.”. In the game, you are free to interact with many NPCs (non-player characters) and even creatures. You can be a good person. You can kill and steal. The game track your moral choices and there are consequences. Granted, it is not as “open world” as Borderlands, Skyrim, and Fallout, it was immensely popular in its heyday.
Imagine you did not stray from the path. You went out to the convenience store to buy milk. You stepped out of the store and saw a horde of demonstrators marched in the street. In a split second, the mob engulfed you. You inadvertently moved in the direction of the demonstrators. Many protesters were arrested. You are among them. The police were amused that you were holding a carton of milk in a demonstration.
David plead with God not to drag him away with the wicked, with those who do evil. (verse 3). When we get mixed up with the wrong crowd, it is easy to get caught in the crossfire.
David’s prayer can be seen in two ways. One, do not let him be tempted to sin like the wicked people. Two, do not let him to drag away for judgement and punishment along with the wicked ones. Either way, what we should do is to stay away from bad influences. If dining at that restaurant always makes you drink more than you want, stop going. If meeting with a friend from the opposite gender makes you feel warm and fuzzy in your tummy, stop meeting him / her alone.
I invite you to say this prayer.
Heavenly Father, keep me away from the path of the wicked and protect my heart from deceit. Let my words and actions reflect your truth and love. Lead me in righteousness all the days of my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
When you stray from the path in Ultima V, you stop doing bad things. When you stray from the part in real life, turn to Jesus.
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