Psalm 101

 Psalm 101  This psalm of David is a declaration of his intentions.. as a man of God... as the king of Israel.  He has set a course for his life's work.. he has made a vow with every intention of heart to live this way.

The first thing.. the first priority for David, is to worship the Lord: "I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to Thee, O Lord, I will sing praises."   May this be our first priority and promise.. that all else in our lives will fall into there rightful place. 

"I will give heed to the blameless way."  David declares... I will prudently, wisely, skillfully, intelligently, behave myself in a way of integrity and truth.. without spot, undefiled... "When wilt Thou come to me?" he asks,  perhaps admitting that he cannot do what he just said without the Lord's help.  

"I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart."  In the privacy of his own home.. where no other can see.. save God Himself.. David desires to walk uprightly.. simply.. completely as God calls him to do. 

"I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; "  Worthless.. without profit.. destructive.. wicked..evil.. ungodly.  ( And David had no idea about the invention of the television or the computer!)  It is a challenge to find anything decent these days on either of these devices.  Can we determine to follow David's example here?

"I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me."  David determines right up front that he will not allow apostasy into his own life.. no rebellion, forsaking, abandoning, or falling away from God's ways.  He saw what that did in Saul's life.. he wanted no part of that in his own.  

"A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil."  David desires truth.. in himself and in others. He determines to keep away from what is false and distorted and crooked. 

As a king.. a leader of the people of God.. David sets forth his agenda for those he governs.. 

He will punish a slanderer.. one who despises his neighbor. 

He will not endure those who are "haughty.. and arrogant". 

He will look to the faithful and the blameless. 

He will dismiss the deceitful.. the liars. 

He will destroy the wicked and "cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity." 

It is a far cry from the leadership of our days.. this decree of David the king.   We find few who determine to live with integrity, truth, and uprightness. We see the faithlessness.. the apostasy.. the rebellious attitudes.. the arrogance and wickedness all around us.  Like David, it is vital that we the people of God determine in ourselves to live "in the integrity" of our own hearts... through the power of His Spirit in us. 

Father in heaven,  we sing of Your love, Your mercy and grace, and Your faithfulness.  We come before You with thanksgiving, for You have given to us salvation through Jesus Christ.. our King who came to reveal grace and truth! We desire to live wholly for You, to walk in the power of Your Spirit, that we might please You in all our ways.. at home or outside the home. Fill us again, sweet Spirit of God, that we might proclaim the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus to a world of lost sinners for whom He was slain.  Open blind eyes.. break through hardened hearts.. and bring the good news of Jesus to this desperate world, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.