Pastor John Mochel

February 11

Reading: Psalm 101

A Psalm of David.

 

1    I will sing of steadfast love and justice;

     to you, O LORD, I will make music.

2   I will ponder the way that is blameless.

     Oh when will you come to me?

     I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;

3   I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

     I hate the work of those who fall away;

     it shall not cling to me.

4   A perverse heart shall be far from me;

     I will know nothing of evil.

5   Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy.

     Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

 

6   I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me;

     he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.

7   No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house;

     no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.

8   Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land,

     cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

 

Psalm 101 is the first of three psalms of David in book 4 of the Psalter.  It is a song that is a prayer for purity.  More than that, it is a prayer that is a commitment to purity and devotion to God.  Ten times in this psalm we read the words “I will.”  Can you find them all?

In this psalm, David is making a commitment before God to not be corrupted by this sick world.  Will you make such a commitment?  This prayer is a great place to begin.

Let us consider, in detail, the nature of David’s commitment before God.

  1. He will worship the Lord in song. (vs. 1)
  2. He will meditate upon the way of the Lord. (vs. 2) This means he will be in the Word.
  3. He will not look at worthless things. (vs. 3) By this he means idols, and the ways that godless people waste their time.
  4. He will stay away from things that might pervert his heart. (vs. 4)
  5. He will resist those who gossip and those who are arrogant. (vs. 5)
  6. He will spend time with those who walk with the Lord. (vs. 6)
  7. He will refuse to be around those who practice deceit and speak lies. (vs. 7)
  8. He will oppose all those who are wicked. (vs. 8)

Read through this list and then read the psalm again.  This is a helpful picture of what it looks like to trust the Lord and walk in obedience to Him.  Have you made a commitment to the Lord to live in obedience to Him?  Think about it.  Do not take such a commitment lightly.  But this is the will of God.