This psalm could be titled His Love Endures Forever.  But the question that comes up very  frequently in conversations is how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exist in his world.   As I meditate on this question I recall the opening words from the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew chapter six.  These words “Our Father who is in heaven holy be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” helps me realize that God will in the kingdom in heaven is complete; but his will on the kingdom which is on earth must not be complete.  Trying to comprehend the question of how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exist in his world is difficult to man because the first step in this process is to grasp an understanding of the true nature and attributes of God.  This process of grasping the nature and attributes is something that is really impossible for man who is just another creation of God.

In the first three verses the psalmist describes God as good, the God of gods, and the Lord of lords.  What command are we given in this psalm?  Give thanks.  The reason for our thanks is simply “His love endures forever”.  The next six verses give us the reasons why His love endures forever by describing His creative acts. .  Verse four states that He alone does great wonders and verse five adds the phase, who by his understanding made the heavens set the stage that He is beyond our understanding.  Men prides himself on his great creations.  This pride can be seen in the simple sand castle built by a young child to great cities as well as the social structures that are built through the combined forces of a nation.   However the concept of building something out of nothing is beyond my understanding as well as the understanding of all mankind.  How can I or mankind as a whole grasp the nature of the creator when we can not even grasp an understand of how the heavens, the earth, and everything on the earth was created?

Verse ten through twenty-five gives us illustrations of how God intervenes in the history of man.  These illustrations deal mainly with Israel.  Why Israel?  Because of God’s promises to Adam and then to Abraham, and then to David.  However, in verse twenty five the psalmist also God’s involvement on earth to include the giving food every creature.  Paul summaries God’s dealing with man in his sermon on Mar’s Hill to the Athenians in Acts chapter 17.

The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by  raising Him from the dead.”

In studying Paul’s ministry it is interesting that here at Athens the great city of learning that the impact of the gospel had very little effect on the people that heard this message.   Paul ended his sermon with a warning that God is now dealing to all people to repent because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world.

The psalmist closes this psalm in verse twenty six with the phase “give thanks to the God of Heaven”.  As I consider the question of “how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exist in his world?” I must consider Paul’s warning to the Athenians that God is now dealing to all people to repent because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world.  After considering this psalm and Paul’s sermon on Mar’s Hill a more pressing question needs to be asked.  Why does man reject such a great salvation (the gospel or good news) that is presented to him in God’s Word?  Those who do give thanks to the God of heaven are those who have not rejected this great salvation and truly realize that His love endures forever.

This is the 4th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents Psalms.

I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy. Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant. (NIV)

As I read this psalm today I realized how simple our prayers should be. With all the issues of life that we face daily we must realize in the end that it is only our tunnel vision that can get us pass the clutter that these issues place in our daily life. Jesus during his time on earth faced many of the same distractions that we face in our everyday existence. However, Christ ministry was only focused on one purpose and that purpose was the cross for the glory of God. Paul writes about this in Philippians chapter two verses five through eleven:

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Also, from these verses in Philippians we observe that we need to be like Christ who took on the role of a servant and not that of the master. Therefore today no matter what happens in the daily events of your life focus your vision to God’s throne. Become a servant that God can use and obedient to Him. In other words learn the simple rule of trust and obey. Live a blameless life and God will open doors of opportunities for you to serve.

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.  For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.  (NIV)

This short psalm is everything a person really needs to know about God.  This poem was from a chain email, so I will passed it on all who look at this Psalm.

God Lives Under The Bed

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under is bed. At least that’s what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen,” Are you there, God?” he said. “Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed…” I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin’s unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.

But that night something else lingered long after the humor I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he’s 6-foot-2); there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and those airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry chores. And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That’s the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculates loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. “That one’s going’ to Chi-car-go!” Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.  His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn’t know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never as happy as when he is working.  When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done,

Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.

His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances,

Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry.

He is always transparent, always sincere.

And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.

Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an “educated” person to grasp.

God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap.

I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God’s care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?

After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I’ll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won’t be surprised at all!

Author Unknown

Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.  His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.  Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.  Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.  Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.  He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.  The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.  (NIV)

When I consider the phrase “blessed is the one who fears the Lord” I reflect back to Psalm one.  The key in understanding this phrase is found in the word blessed.  In Psalm one we are told “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”  The fear of the Lord is an understanding of God and his way.  To grasp an understanding of this verse we must understand the definition of fear.  Fear can be define as a feeling of anxiety (restlessness caused by uncertainties) that marks a state of guard apprehension and uneasiness that forces one to make decisions.  This blessing comes from a trust and obey relationship with the Lord.

As I study this Psalm I can’t help to be drawn back to the teaching of Psalm one.  God has given us the way to walk in, however mankind seems to want more.  The simple truth of this Psalm is trusting and obeying God.  The difference in the life of the man who fears the LORD and the life of the man who does not is the caretaker.  As I work in my backyard or on my land I realize how much the design reflects the desire and purpose of me the caretaker.  The same is with the one that looks to the Lord as the one that directs his life.  This is the type of relationship that Christ spoke of in John chapter fifteen:

 ¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes it away: and every branch that bears fruit, he cleanses it, that it may bear more fruit.

³ Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The wicked, the one that does not have the fear of God in their life does not have the caretaker in their life.  May my life (the work of God’s hand in the life of an old saint) reflect the same joy in God that I have when I set in the designer’s chair and look out and delight in the beauty that my secret garden gives me to enjoy?

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.  I will be careful to lead a blameless life– when will you come to me?  I will walk in my house with blameless heart.  I will set before my eyes no vile thing.  The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.  Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.  Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.  My eyes will be on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.  No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.  Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.  (NIV)

This Psalm written by David reflects the way in which he tried to rule as King of Israel.  The key to the way he ruled and lived his life was to live a blameless life.  The word blameless can be defined as: free of guilt, not subject to blame, of irreproachable character, an unimpeachable reputation.  Blameless does not mean sinless, nor does it imply perfection.  A blameless life style is a characteristic of one’s life that others encounter during the course of our daily activity.  Living a blameless life before others is not easy and usually is very difficult.  Because the perception of living a blameless life to others is viewed by our actions and not our motives a blameless life style is very difficult to show to others.  Unlike our physical appearance which people can see, our motives are not visible and must be weighed over time.  So how do I groom my life to be blameless?  The key is similar to the way I get my physical self-ready every day.  As I must get up each morning and make my physical appearance presentable before I venture out of the house each morning, I must also examine my heart to make sure that is it blameless before God and man.  As you read this psalm considered the following examples that are in the Bible for us to model our walk after:

This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.  (Genesis 17:1)

I (David) have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. (II Samuel 22:24)     In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:8)

As I study these four men I realized that their blameless life style is the result of a living a life of integrity.   One key to this is to eliminate anything that causes me to keep secrets.  In our process of communicating with others we usually try to filter out the differences between what the other person is saying and that they really mean.  In our process of communication we must stop and examine the true motive behind our words and actions.  Is what I say really what I mean, or is there a hidden agenda behind my words?  So one of the first steps in living a blameless life is the process of eliminating all secret motives from my words and my actions.

Another step would be to remove all the vile things from my life.  The word vile is defined as loathsome, disgusting, unpleasant, or objectionable.  It is also used to describe behavior as contemptibly, miserably poor and degrading, wretched, morally depraved and wicked.  In Psalm one this is one of the two steps in living a blessed life.  The first step is to move toward God and seek him, and the second step is to stay away from those things against God’s way (vile things).

The final step is to read and mediate on God’s Word daily.  Just read Psalm 119 for this truth to set in.  The Word of God will lead you to live a blameless life.

It is amazing how God has embedded simple truths in his Word.  As I study this psalm the words of verses nineteen through twenty-three speaks of our society today.

¹⁹At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. ²⁰ They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. ²¹ They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, ²² miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. ²³ So he said he would destroy them had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.

The event that took placed at Horeb has been taking place in the course of history since the fall of man.  Even in the very strong holds of religion itself we see God being exchanged for other gods.  When you read Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” you must realize that this is the first of the simple truths that God reveals to men from the scriptures.  This truth is that God started the process of the heavens and the earth by creating something out of nothing.  This truth that God is a creator should shape and mold you understanding of everything that surrounds you.  For without God nothing would or could exist.   Therefore to gain an understand of the world in which we live we must recognize God as creator.  That is not the case with society today.  In an article from the Houston Chronicle (6/21/2009) Opportunities to Fellowship With Other Humanists in Houston the author Hux (Brian Surratt) stated “The HOH seems to be getting stronger. I hope the options for humanists continue to grow overtime to include, say, more activities for families who desire to raise ethical children in a naturalistic tradition”.

What is a humanist?  Just go to their website for the answer.   In the Humanist Manifesto III, the American Humanist Association outlined the following basic principles of Humanism:

• Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. • Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change. • Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience. • Life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. • Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. • Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness.

At first glance these principles might sound great.  However, a farther look at the Humanism definition of Humanism it self states “Humanism is a worldview which says that reason and science are the best ways to understand the world around us, and that dignity and compassion should be the basis for how you act toward someone else.  Humanism is nontheistic. By this, we don’t mean to say that there is no God. Instead, we say that there is no proof for the existence of God, any gods, the supernatural or an afterlife.  Therefore, we take very seriously the idea that “No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.” We are living the only life we’ll have, in the only world we know about. The responsibility for the choices we make are ours and ours alone.”  This statement is a reflection of exactly what the Israelites did here at Horeb, and what Paul describes in Romans chapter one as the condition that mankind now suffers.  Then we look at the last two verses of this Psalm we see the psalmist requests to God: save us and gather us from the nations.  If one of the fundamental belief of Humanism is that God does not save us, only we can; then I can not abide in their company.    However, like Moses may I stand in the breach between God and the Humanist and pray that they may see the light offered to them through Christ.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.  Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.  Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.  Say among the nations, “the LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.  (NIV)

For the Lord will come, he will come to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.  In Matthew 25:1-13 the Lord liken the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins, five of them wise and five of them foolish.  As I look at verse 13 of this psalm I reflect on these verses in Matthew 25 and if I fit the description of the wise virgins.

Questions to ask yourself in self-examination:

• As I read this psalm about the Lord does my daily walk reflects the truth of God’s future judgment that I see in this psalm?
• Do I take lightly the salvation that God has provided for me in Christ?
• Does my daily actions proclaim this great salvation to those around me?
• Can those around me see the glorious work of transformation that God is performing in me daily to make me more Christ-like?
• Do I truly worship him with the glory due his name?
• Do I truly view him as creator of heaven and earth and worship him as creator?
• Do I truly fear the Lord?

As I was working on my land yesterday, I looked up and considered the sun.  I ask myself the simply question what is the importance of the sun to life on earth.   Wikianswer.com answers to this question is “The sun is absolutely necessary, thus very-very important, for the life on Earth, because without sun, all the forms of life in Earth will disappear in only a few days. The sun delivers more than 99% of the energy that is necessary for nearly all the phenomena on Earth, like wind, rain, ocean streams, photosynthesis, and even fossil fuels can be said that are a part of accumulated solar energy.   This truth makes me realized the truth found in Psalm eight on the greatness of God, and yet how much greater is His love for man.

As I read this Psalm on how important the Lord is in our life I also realized how little the world in which we live gives God the glory He desires.   In Job chapter thirty-eight records God’s answer to Job “Who is this that darkened counsel by words without knowledge?  Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.  Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.”  There will be a day that the Lord will demand of us for the actions and deeds in our life.  With this realization I ask “who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge in this world today?”

As I read this psalm I have a note in my Bible to also read Matthew chapter four where Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  It is amazing how much I have discovered of the way Christ led his life here on this earth by my daily reading of the Psalms.  As one reads the psalm above the reader could refer both to the believer who is trusting completely in God or Christ himself when he dwelled on this earth.   Note also in Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”  are the same angels found here in this psalm in verses eleven and twelve.  These were the verses that the devil tried to misinterpret in Matthew 4:6.  As we go about on journey on this earth the key to this journey is found in verse fourteen.  Because I love God, God will rescue and protect me and because of my love I will acknowledge God before others.  The love of God is much greater than that of a father or mother toward her their own child.  And the love of the believer picture here is much greater than the love a son or daughter can have for their own parent.   Just as the devil tried to misinterpret these verses to Christ in the desert; the sinful nature that is found in the world around us also tries to blinds us to these verses that reveals to us the truth about how close a relationship we can have with God.

The opening statement of this psalm ” he who dwells in the shelter of the most High” sets the stage for all believers.  One of the most precious teachings of Christianity is that of the priesthood of the believer.   As Peter writes in his first epistle we are not only priest, but a people of God’s own possession for the purpose to show forth the excellencies of God who call us out of darkness into his marvelous light.   When we make God our refuge, our hiding place we place ourselves in his care and our faith grows.  As this relationship of trusting in the Lord grew we learn to love him more.  We come to the realized of how important the first law of the Ten Commandments in our relationship with God.  Having no other Gods before him truly means dwelling in his presence.  This relationship with God is very important.  By resting in the Lord we become as a young chick who stays near the wings of the caring hen.  We will not fear what will happen to us as we perform the daily routines that are in our lives and careers.  For in the moment of danger we know we have the protection on the mother’s wings.  The secret to living this type of life is giving up the pride we have in being able to do things my way instead of God’s way.  Surrender to God’s shelter and his peace will be upon you with the long satisfy life he gives those who walk in his way.

Verse fourteen states “Because he loves me, says the Lord” is the focus point of our relationship with God.  My relationship with God is not based upon the way I live my life, but with whom I chose to have fellowship and companionship.  I might not force God on others, however I will not deny him for as my God I will acknowledge him to all who inquires.

As I studied Luke 2:41-52 this morning I realized that this is the only glimpse of the boyhood of Christ in the scripture.  We can see from these verses that there was a purpose that Jesus had in his life and that was to be about his Father’s business.  As I read this Psalm I can picture Christ in his early age as a boy, just as David was a boy who spent his time mediating on God’s Word.  In this Psalm I can picture Christ reading this Psalm and seeing David as the subject of this Psalm placing himself as a lamb under the care of his shepherd.  It is not how great and powerful the shepherd makes the lamb, but how the shepherd protects him.  David realized that God was in control no matter had difficult the situation seem to be around him.  This Psalm just as Christ’s life points to the secret of living a blameless life and that secret is a simple trust in the Most High.   In Luke chapter two verse fifty-two the simple statement “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man”, is an example of how we a believers must grow in our life.  So instead of focusing on the glorification of self as Satan wanted Christ to do in Matthew chapter four we need to be focusing on dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and growing in our love for Him.

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusted in thee   be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.  Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.  Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.  All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.  For thou art great, and does wondrous things: thou art God alone.  Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.  I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.  O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.  O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.  Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me. (KJV)

There is an old hymn of the faith called “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” written by Frances J. Cosby that I am reminded of when I read verse eleven.  The refrain of this song:

Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard

Reminds me of the way of God that David wrote about in all his psalms.  David look forwarded to the Savior but we are so much richer since we now have the story of Jesus in your life.  David’s desire was to walk in God’s way and to walk in his truth.  We should have the same love in sharing the story of Jesus that David had for studying God’s way.  By sharing the story of Jesus to those around us, we will be more inclined to live this type of a blameless walk that David wrote about in Psalm 15.  Paul’s writings also encouraged us to make our walk blameless before others:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Ephesians 1:4 for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
3. Ephesians 5:27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
4. Philippians 1:10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
5. Philippians 2:15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
6. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 you are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
7. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this psalm David also refers to himself as your servant.  To truly be devoted to God we must become a servant to God just as David refers to in verse two.  To gain a better understanding of the concept of this type of servant see my comments to Psalm 40.  By being a servant of God two things will occur, God’s presence will be in your life and the wicked will stand against you.

In the daily reading of the Psalms today we start the devotional time with this Psalm and end with Psalm 90.  In Psalm 86 David wrote “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”  These words bring to life the key to living a Christian life which is found in Psalms one.  This fact is also found in Psalms 90:12 as Moses wrote “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”.   Teach me God is a prayer that we need to pray more in our daily walk.