Read Psalm 101:1-8. 1I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. 2I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 3I 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. 4A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. 5Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6I 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. 7No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. 8Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.
This psalm of David is clearly one of single-minded dedication to the ways of God. This is a prayer as much as it is a promise. King David isn’t claiming some sort of “holier than thou” life. He is expressing his desire to rule God’s nation with all the same justice, holiness, and love of God himself.
Most of us would be quite reluctant to pray this prayer, and with good reasons, not least of which is the fact that we are not ruling over God’s theocracy on Earth. But we are citizens of a spiritual kingdom on Earth, the church. We are king-priests proclaiming the excellencies of Christ. We do live in a house. We do have neighbors. We are surrounded by wickedness and injustice, just as David was. So maybe this psalm is more applicable to us than we originally thought.
Thankfully the One who alone could pray this prayer and live such a dedicated life did so. Jesus was truly blameless, and full of integrity. Jesus was free from perversion and never set worthlessness before his eyes. In his dying, Jesus destroyed the wicked and made a place in his house for the faithful and blameless.
Does that mean Jesus lives alone? For who among us is as dedicated as this psalm requires? Not David. And surely not us. But this is the promise of our union with Christ – his dedication to justice and holiness and now our dedication to as well. His dedication to God and to us, is ours in him. So pray Psalm 101 and believe it. Believe that this is your new heart for eternity, and it might just start to be today.
To live is Christ allows us to pray I will because he has.
Prayer. Jesus, you are the great I Am who said I will and did it all. Keep doing it in me as I submit my heart to you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 