Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer – it does not rise from deceitful lips.  May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.  Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.  As for the deeds of men – by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.  My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.  I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.  Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.  They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.  They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.  They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.  Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.  LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life.  You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.  And I in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (NIV)

Self-examination by studying God’s word and letting his word speak to us is a process that all believers must go through.  It is the process by which we realized the holiness of God and our sinfulness.  It is by the process of studying his word daily that we realize that our walk is reflective of one of two paths given to us from God.  These two paths reflect either the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked.  This theme is developed for us in Psalms one and is expanded on throughout the remainder of the psalms.  As we read this psalm reflect back on Psalm one and the way in which we should walk.  The ways outline in Psalm one is simple, you can chose to go the way of Cain or the way of Abel.

This psalm starts out with a prayer for vindication.  However, it is a prayer that does not come from a deceitful heart, but it is a prayer for God to take action.  Notice it is not a prayer for God to give the psalmist the knowledge or power to react back to the ones that are assailing him.  Notice that the psalmist is stating I resolved not to sin with my mouth, or walk in the ways of the wicked.  We must not fall into the trap that we can do wrong in order that right may prevail.  This is the same message that Paul tells us in Romans 3:5-6 “But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say?  That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)  Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?”  Righteousness is impossible for man to attain, but with God all things are possible.  As Paul states in Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” the same message that David writes in verse 15  “And I in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.”  So our vindication rest in God’s hand.  As we watch the news, or if we are ever involved in our court system we soon realize that it is not the truth and doing what is right that is the goal of the verdict, but winning and winning at all cost.  It is usually a matter of who has the best lawyer, the best attack and the most money to win the fight.  However, for the believer we must seek after what is right even if we must suffer for a season.  However, this season will soon give way too eternally, where the Righteous Judge will rule in truth and in righteousness and the deeds of the wicked will no longer exist.

As I was studying Luke this morning I could not help but dwell on the words of the two companions after they had been with Christ on their way to Emmaus.  Christ had address them as foolish men and slow of heart to believe the writing of all the prophets. He then interpreted to them all the scriptures which concern him.  It only after Christ had revealed himself to them and then vanished that the words he had spoken came alive to them.  On the road to Emmaus Christ educated them and gave them knowledge which caused their hearts to burn; but it was only after the Savior was revealed to them that they were able to put this knowledge together and grasp an understanding of the gospel.  I have seen this truth come alive in last several years as I study the psalms daily.

The key to understanding the psalms is to gain an understanding of David’s view of man and God.  The more I study David the more I see how his life reflects the life of Christ during his earthly ministry.  The same struggles and issues that Christ faced where similar to those of David, as well as the struggles that believers face in the world today.  The more we study the life of Christ the more we can see how to walk in God’s way.  An example of how this psalm portraits Christ can be found by comparing verse to of this psalm to Matthew 27:12-15:

And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto him, hears thou not how many things they witness against thee?

And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.

Christ waited on his vindication to come from God.  So, as you read this psalm relate it to the events in Christ’s earthly ministry, David’s life as revealed in the scriptures and to the personal struggles that you are facing in your daily walk.  Then the Holy Spirit will give you a better understanding of the way of righteous and just as the two companions on their way to Emmaus had their eyes open you too will gain a better understanding of the psalms.

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.  Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.  May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips who is our master?”  “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”  And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.  O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.  The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. (NIV)

As we faced another election year and the debate about who is right and best for the position we must consider verse eight of this psalm “the wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men”.  As we take a look at the value system that is in place today we see a system that is very corrupt.  In verse two David writes that everyone lies to his neighbor and their flattering lips speak with deception.  This too seems to be present in our political and business world today.   In II Timothy 3:1-5 Paul warns Timothy about times like David was facing “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, and conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power”.  As I study David’s life I even see this deception happening in his own life as he tries to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba so that his child could seem to be Uriah’s son to cover up David’s sin.  However when this did not work David arrange for Uriah’s death on the battlefield.  Then, when Nathan confronted David with his sin and said to David “You are the man! David realized that he was guilty of the very principles that he tried to uphold.  David’s repentance (see Psalm 51 and Psalm 32) is an example of the type of true repentance that we as believers must follow when we are confronted with our sin. However, today I believe we have departed from true repentance and are living in a culture were the wicked proudly strut about knowing that their actions are really honored in this society.

When studying the seven churches in Revelation two and three repentance plays an important part in the believer’s walk. These examples:

• To the church of Ephesus – Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
• To the church of Pergamum – Nevertheless, I have a few things against you. Repent therefore!
• To the church in Thyatira – Nevertheless, I have this against you I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling; so I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
• To the church of Sardis – I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
• To the church of Laodicea – I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
• How then does this story answer the question “Is living life and following God’s way simply a matter of if you do this then this will happen?”?  The answer can be found in reading I Peter.  According to I Peter 5: 8-9 we are to be “self-controlled and alert”.  Why?  Because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  How do we react to the devil?  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because we know that our brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  So in evil times is your goal living a wonderful and bless life, or living a blameless life style as a witness of God’s working in your life?  Knowing that the evil in this world will take advantage of our living a blameless life before God.
• Is there a difference between knowing God’s way and living in God’s way?   Does living a righteous life style before God guarantee a wonderful and bless life?  Is living life and following God’s way simply a matter of if you do this then this will happen?   As I study the Psalms and the life of David I have come to realize that the answers to life’s tough questions are not simple.  This Psalm deals with living in an environment where the godly are no more.  It is an environment where everyone lies to his neighbor, is deceitful, where what is vile and wicked is honored among men.  As I study I Kings chapter twenty-one see a picture of Israel that reminds me of this type of environment.   To summarize this chapter we see four main characters: Naboth, Ahab, Jezebel, and  Elijah.  Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard to make himself a vegetable garden.  Naboth told him no, this is my inheritance from my father and I will not sell it to you.  So Ahab went home sad and angry.  When Jezebel found out about this she took matters in her own hands and set Naboth up with made-up charges and had him killed.   She then gave his land to Ahab.  When Ahab went to see his new possession Elijah met him and proclaim God’s Word to him.  Surprising Ahab humbled himself before God (something Jezebel would never do).  To this God had mercy on him and did not bring the promise disaster during his life time.  As I read this story the issues we face today in our society are similar to the issues that Elijah faced during his time on this earth.
• However, there are two churches that were not ask to repent: Smyrna “I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!” and Philadelphia -”I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name”.  It is interest that II Samuel 11:1 starts out with these words “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.”  This verse set the stage for David’s fall.  David was not doing what he was supposed to be doing, but left it to others.  The churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia gives us examples what the church should be doing today.  So as we take a look at the value system of nation we should look and study the seven churches of Revelation.  Is our value system that of Smyrna and Philadelphia or is it like the value of the other five churches?

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?” – Genesis 50:19

As you go about your journey on this earth, do you have to be in control of the events in your life? Genesis 50 gives us a picture of how Joseph followed his father’s last wishes on his burial in the land on Canaan. Joseph took control and followed his father’s wishes and made everything happen the way Jacob wanted it to happen. However, after the funeral his brothers sent a message to him referring to Jacob’s request for the brothers to carry out concerning their past sin to Joseph. They were living in his presence however; since, they still had not confessed their sin and asked for his forgiveness, they probably did not have the close brotherly relationship with him as they should. Now with Jacob’s death they feared that Joseph would now carry out his our justice and give them the judgment that their sin desired.  They were now at the mercy of Joseph who had the power to carry out judgment with his own hands.

Joseph’s reply was simple: “Fear not: for am I in the place of God?” Joseph knew the time, the place, and who was going to judge all men. The time is in God’s hand and he and he only knows it. The place is before him. And finally it will be God who judges us. However, as you go about your journey on this earth you can partake of an attribute of God just as Joseph did. This attribute is our ability to forgive others. As Christ preached in Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” and then as Christ expanses on this in verse 14 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”. This was probably the thought that Joseph had then he reply to his brothers “I can not judge you for your evil, however I can forgive you” and this is also the way in which we must walk.

As I was studying the New Testament this week I  realized that the Lord message to the multitudes starting in Matthew chapter five and going through chapter seven started out like Psalm 1:1.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they

shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say

all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The blessings of God comes when we walk in his way.  It is not a way of do things so that God will reward you, but it a walk we take because of our love for the Lord.  It is a walk before God, not man.  So as the Sermon on the Mount starts out in Matthew chapter five like Psalm 1:1 and Matthew chapter seven ends like verse six of this psalm.

Every one therefore that hears these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.

And every one that hears these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

So read the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters five through seven and apply these words in a way that your house will not fall, but stand.

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.