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.

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!  Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.  Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.  He established it as a statue for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard language we did not understand.  He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.  In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah “Hear, O my people, and I will warn you if you would but listen to me, O Israel!  You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.  I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.  Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.  “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.  “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!  Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.  But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (NIV)

At the start of my journey of reading five psalms a day the purpose of this journey was to help me improve my prayer life.  During this journey I also discovered the writings of Oswald Chambers. In his October 17 devotional The Key of the Greater Work, he makes this statement about prayer “Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God’s work”.  As I reflect upon this statement I am reminded of the Paul’s references to prayer:

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.

Philippians 1:4 – Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.

It is prayer and worship then that must play an important part in our daily spiritual walk.  As I consider the first four verses of this chapter I see the importance of daily worship.  Do I have a song of praise in my daily walk?  Do I thanks the Lord for my daily needs that have been met?  Do I take moments from my daily walk to devote to prayer?  Do I consider prayer as asking God for something, or is it a request that we present before God?  A great example of prayer from the business world would be that of a budget request. We put together our budget and then submit it to our manager and hope it gets approve.  Prayer is the process of submitting our request to God.  In verse ten we see God wanting us to open our mouth wide and he will fill it.  However, we have not listen to God.  Our prayers (budget request) are not in line with what is needed.  We ask for things outside the requirements of God’s will.  Verse seven gives us an example of what prayer is like “in your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you and I tested you”.  The two parts of prayer are seen in this verse.  I called and God rescued me.  I ask and he fulfilled my requested desires.

The second part is the testing God gives to each believer after he has answer their request. This testing by the waters of Meribah comes when God has already answer our prayers, however we are again in a place that we need God’s help again.  In Exodus 17 this place is called both Massah (which means testing) and Meribah (which means quarreling).  Question yourself and considered if your request before God is either testing God or quarreling with God?  Sometimes during our journey on this earth we get hungry and thirsty for spiritual things in our life.  However, instead of asking God to meet these needs we start to complaint about how God has just deserted us.  We let our hearts become stubborn like Israel and stop listening to God and stop following his ways.  To succeed in this time of testing we must practice the principle of trust and obey and know that God is God.

Charles Spurgeon sums up this Psalm by calling it “THE PRAYER OF THE AGED BELIEVER”.  He sums up this Psalm as being written by one “who, in holy confidence of faith, strengthened by a long and remarkable experience, pleads against his enemies, and asks further blessings for himself. Anticipating a gracious reply, he promises to magnify the Lord exceedingly.”  As I read this Psalm I picture the walk of a righteous person as he makes his journey of life on this earth.  Verse one sets the stage for having a righteous walk on our journey through life on this earth.  We must learn that it is only in God we can find a refuge, a place to retreat in times of trouble.

As I read this Psalm I realize that one of the main purposes of a believer is to tell of the mighty acts of God in our life and to proclaim his righteousness to others.  In this Psalm the Psalmist declares to others God’s splendor all day long as he praises the Lord more and more.  He proclaims God’s righteous and his salvation all day long.  His daily conversation centers on God’s righteousness both in times of trouble as well as seasons of great abundant of blessings in one’s life.   However, the Psalmist recognizes that there are those who want to harm him, who are characterized as wicked, evil and cruel man.  In light of this Psalm believers today should put forth the same example in their lives as the Psalmist does in this Psalm.  So as you walk daily in this world walk it in the same light as the Psalmist does:  taking refuge in the Lord, knowing it is He who rescues you from the wicked, praising God all the daily long, knowing that he is the one that has created the splendor that we see daily and finally realizing that it is Him who teaches us to walk in the way.

I have realized that the more I study the Psalms the more my daily conversations centered on how great God’s righteous acts are toward those whom pursue a life pleasing to Him.  As having a blessed life of knowing Christ from an early age I reflect on my youth and recall how truly this greatness of His goodness has been in my life.  As we age we begin to realize the true pressures of this life and how we are in a battle against the spiritual wickedness that Paul writes about in Ephesians chapter six.  So as we face these battles we must approach it in the same manner as Paul outlines in Philippians chapter three: “Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.”  So as I go about today’s journey may my song be reflective of that great hymn “and the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace”.

As I read and reflect upon these words of David and study his life I realize that the path God had for David was not always the path that David had for himself.   In Revelation three verses seven and eight John writes “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things said he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opened, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opened; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”.  As I look at this verse and also study the only other reference to the key of David found in Isaiah 22:22 I noticed three characteristics that the church of Philadelphia had that David also possessed: little strength, kept God’s ways and did not deny God’s name.  David’s strength was in his trust of God strength and not the strength that David possessed.  David knew that the events and daily happenings in his life was for God’s purpose and not the path that David had planned for that day.  Did David realized this from his youth?  I believe not, He grew in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord just as we all do.  However this one thing was true in David’s life as they must be in the believer’s life; he did not deny God or God’s way.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:  (KJV)

Last night as I was watching the news there seem to be an emptiness about the events that they were reporting.  I had just challenged one of my co-workers that day to read II Peter which is only three chapters long, yet packed with so much truth for today’s Christians.  The book of II Peter was a letter to those who had received a faith of the same kind as the apostles giving them instructions on how to live a believer’s life style while waiting on the Lord to return.  This is also the life style that we should be living in this present age. In chapter three Peter writes “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lust, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?”.

Know this first of all the Lord is coming.  As we live on life on this earth do we live it in the light that Christ might come to earth tomorrow?  Will my labors of the day and my plans for the future be wasted if the Lord was to return today?  Peter states that with fact should always be with us.  In chapter three verse eleven he wrote ” Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.”  As I read II Peter I realize that we have misplaced our true purpose on this earth.  We have become firemen fighting to save a burning building instead of being firemen with the sole desire to save lives from a burning building.

So as Peter closes his short epistle with these words “You therefore beloved knowing this beforehand be on your guard lest being carried away by the error of unprincipled men fall from your own steadfastness.” we need to look a our true purpose in life.  This purpose is simple.  We are to KNOW  that Christ is coming and to live our life according.  Knowing this we should be found to be spotless and blameless, growing in the grace and creation knowledge of our Lord and Savior.  Having the same purpose as God does which is waiting patiently for his , not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  Wherefore Know this first of all the Lord will return.