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 101:1-8 ESV
After a lengthy pause, the psalter picks back up with the psalms of David, the famous king of Israel whom God deemed “a man after his heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 ESV). David had been God's handpicked successor for Saul, the first king of Israel, who had proven unfaithful and disobedient. The people of Israel recognized that their demand to be like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:19-20) and have a human king to rule over them had produced less-than-satisfactory results.
Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. – 2 Samuel 5:1-3 NLT
In one of his psalms, Asaph recorded God’s selection of David and described why the Lord had deemed this young man to be the right man for the job.
He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT
This psalm provides a glimpse into David’s “true heart” as he reveals his intentions to serve God with integrity, honesty, and a selfless commitment to His will. Notice how many times David begins a sentence with the words, “I will…”
I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.
I will praise you with songs.
I will be careful to live a blameless life…
I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.
I will have nothing to do with those who deal wickedly.
I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.
I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
I will not endure conceit and pride.
I will search for faithful people to be my companions.
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.
David vocalized his commitment to use his divine appointment as king to live a set-apart life that reflected his love for and submission to God. Yahweh had done much for him, and he was expressing his desire to return the favor.
But this psalm begs the question: What will you do for God? Most of us have a long list of things we want God to do for us. We have prayer requests we would like Him to answer. We have problems we would like Him to solve. We have people in our lives we would like Him to change or remove, conflicts we need Him to resolve, illnesses we want Him to heal, mysteries we want Him to reveal, and cloudy futures we demand that He clear up.
But what are we willing to do for Him? Over and over again in this short Psalm, David says, “I will…” This is not evidence of a prideful heart or an over-inflated ego. David is simply expressing his willingness to praise God, pursue a life of integrity, refuse to look at anything inappropriate, reject relationships with the wicked, not tolerate conceit in his life, search out the faithful as his companions, and hire those whose lives are above reproach as his employees.
David was telling God that he was serious about living a life set apart for God’s use. He understood the concept of holiness and knew that his life would be distinctive and different as God’s chosen servant. It was to be characterized by a different way of life. David was not pledging to do these things to please God or score brownie points, but because they are characteristic of someone who shares God’s heart.
In Psalm 86, David prayed, “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Give me purity of heart, that I may honor you” (Psalm 86:11 NLT). In Psalm 101, David describes what he has learned about God’s way – His path for living life. It is a life characterized by integrity or wholeness. It is “sound” or “healthy” in all areas, not just parts. There is no compartmentalization or hidden areas where God has no sway or influence. When David says, “I will be careful to live a blameless life,” he is not promising a life of sinless perfection. He is declaring his intention to live a life of wholeness or integrity. He is committing to do everything he can to live a life that will bring glory to God in every detail.
David tells God, “I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” That word translated “integrity” shares the same root word as the one translated “blameless” earlier in the verse. Again, it has to do with wholeness and completeness. David is expressing his desire to live a holy, set-apart life in every area of his life — even at home, where no one else can see him.
There is a sense in which we will have to make difficult decisions if we want to live according to God’s way. Like David, we must “refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar” (Psalm 101:3 NLT). Think about that the next time you turn on the TV or head to the movie theater. We will have to “hate all who deal crookedly” and “have nothing to do with them” (Psalm 101:3 NLT). David is not telling us to hate the lost, but to refuse to enjoy the companionship of those whose lives dishonor God. Do you enjoy the company of those who have no heart for the things of God more than you enjoy the company of believers? This is speaking more about having a love affair with their behavior than with the individuals themselves. Are the lifestyles of the godless more appealing to us than the lifestyles of the godly? David said, “I will search for faithful people to be my companions” (Psalm 101:6 NLT). He wanted to hang with the holy, not the heathen.
David wanted his life to be different, so he was willing to change how he lived. He sought new habits and new friends. He chose to give up old ways of doing things. He decided to surround himself with good influences. What are you willing to do for God? What steps will you take to ensure your life is marked by integrity or wholeness?
Father, You want all of my life, not just the parts that people see on Sunday morning. You desire that I would be willing to make changes to the way that I live. You have given me a new heart and the power to live differently, but I still have to choose to do so. And it begins with the daily decisions to live my whole life for You. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
