"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."
Psalm 101:1-2
Part 4
Yesterday: King, Parent, or Child, Behavior Matters!
“I will behave myself wisely.”
David will need the Lord to give him the wisdom to live and rule by.
“In a perfect way.”
He will reign as king with integrity. At home, he will strive to lead his family right.
Today: How Close Should We be to the “Things of God?”
“O when wilt thou come unto me?”
David wanted God’s presence with him all the time. This, too, shows us his wisdom.
“When – God is often said in scripture to come to men when he fulfills a promise to them”[1] (John Wesley).
“David longed for a more special and effectual visitation from the Lord before he began his reign. If God be with us, we shall neither err in judgment nor transgress in character; his presence brings us both wisdom and holiness: away from God we are away from safety”[2] (Spurgeon).
When David was made king, the Ark of the Covenant was not in Jerusalem; there was no Temple yet. Offering sacrifice in the worship of Jehovah had to be carried on where the Ark was. David had hoped to build the Temple and move the Ark from the “house of Abinadab” (2 Samuel 6:4) to the city. Then the presence of God (the Shekinah glory) would be in Zion, “God’s city,” with David.
When the “things of God” are “out of sight,” they also tend to be “out of mind.” I don’t know about David, but I know how hard it is to keep my heart right with the Lord when I’m away from the “things of God.” If I’m not in the Word of God, or in my church under the preaching of the Word, nor with my brothers and sisters in Christ, it is awfully easy to let my heart slip and forget my godly priorities and grow cold. The nearness to “God’s things” ought to be important to each believer. David said,
“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God” (Psalm 40:17).
Parents, we need to be as close to God as possible! We must have His wisdom, love, and practicality as we strive to teach our children how to be devoted to God. For our children, this is probably better “caught” than “taught.” They will learn so much about how important God is to us by merely watching our lives as we go about our daily routines. If God is important to us, they will see that clearly. Let’s live our lives so close to God that our children will never need to question if we love Him or not.
“I will walk within my house.” (a)
“Walk” – we don’t usually think of doing much “walking” in our homes. David is not talking about taking a stroll, but about what life is like at home. Our daily “walk” at home is how we interact with each other. What is our manner of life? How do we co-operate with the rest of the family? How do we talk to and listen to each other? How are we living life under our roof?
“Within my house.”
David was concerned that his behavior is right no matter where he was.
“House – In my court and family, as well as in my public administrations”[3] (John Wesley).
“Piety must begin at home. Our first duties are those within our own abode. We must have a perfect heart at home, or we cannot keep a perfect way abroad”[4] (Spurgeon).
Parents, how did God know that Abraham was going to serve Him faithfully? The same way He knows if we will lead our family for Him. Come back tomorrow, and let’s see what we can learn and apply.
Quote: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:6-8).
[1] John Wesley. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 101:2.
[2] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 101:2.
[3] John Wesley, Ibid.
[4] C.H. Spurgeon, Ibid.