Tag: Psalm 101

I Will

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 22 & 23

Poetry: Psalm 101

New Testament: 1 Timothy 5

If you have the time today I would like you to read through Psalm 101 before reading this and then read it again after. 

Psalm 101 speaks of integrity.  It’s pretty clear-cut, in the ESV version, the Psalm is even called “I will walk with integrity”.  The way it’s put there speaks to me, it isn’t saying “I should”, there is no question in that statement, “I will walk with integrity”.  I’ll wrap back to the part about integrity later.

First, I want to focus on a phrase. Throughout the whole Psalm, the phrase that we read over and over is “I will”.  Throughout the world, and even in myself, I don’t hear that sort of conviction in daily life.  “I will” is substituted for “I might”, “I could”, etc.  These all convey a sense of being able to back out.  Even the term “I can” lacks the certainty that “I will” has.  “I can” can mean that you can but lack the conviction to do it.  And taking it a step further, even the phrase “I will” can lack conviction.  For example “I will go take out the trash” or “I will drive you to school”.  In Psalm 101 it’s a much different form of “I will” from those.  

So we have conviction, but for what? As said before with the heading, integrity.  When I  search for the definition of the word “integrity”, I get this in response, “integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” I think this definition has been generalized for the public and for the rest of the world.  The word moral can be subjective in exactly what it entails.  I think we as Christians have a great example of what to look for in integrity though, Psalm 101.  It lays out our “moral principles” pretty well throughout it.  Which I think makes it a great thing to read and study. 

 As I said at the start, I would challenge you to read Psalm 101 again.  But this time, focus on the conviction behind it, and look at the integrity it talks about.  Take it one line at a time and dwell on what is said. 

-Philip Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1. What are you convicted about doing?
  2. What “I will” statements do you find in Psalm 101? Which do you already feel strongly about and would also say, “I will…”? Which seem like wise statements but you could use more conviction in this area to move from “I should” or “I can” to “I will”? Pray about these.
  3. How would you rate your own integrity? What do you admire about people you know with strong moral principles? What is God looking for as far as integrity goes?
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Who You Want to Be

Psalm 101

Psalm 101 2a

Are you who you want to be?

Almost no one jumps up at this question and says I am exactly who I want to be. Maybe we won’t ever become who we want to be. Our view may be too grandiose to actualize. We all have strengths, weaknesses and limitations which is perfectly fine. I have accepted that I will never have a voice like any of the singers from Casting Crowns. Haha. I have identified areas of my life where I am semi successful and try to work on those areas. This doesn’t mean I don’t work on my weakness it just means that I know the areas that I am most able to serve others in and hone those skills in order to serve God and those around me better.

With all that being said I am still not who I want to be in the picture-perfect sense.

Actually, before we move forward, I want you to write down exactly who you want to be and maybe what you think you are missing to become that person in 100 words or less. Sometimes it’s helpful to write down our goals.  Envisioning them can make them more concrete and help to actualize them. No longer are they just things or ideas they have an actual physical existence now.

Second question: Do you think you are on the road to become who you want to be?

Does your life reflect that you are taking steps daily in that direction and you are pushing yourself to become that person? Are you doing that hard work in your life? Or do you shrink back to what is comfortable?

These are problems that all of us face and today we are going to look at some of these.

Ps. 101 is going to be the focus today.

Verse 1 praised God for all that he does through his steadfast love and faithfulness. I like how David doesn’t stop there. He follows the praise and gratitude with an action step by saying “to you Lord I will make music.” I wish that I would do that more often—turn the gratitude in my heart into an action step to worship and praise God.

David starts out verse 2 by saying “I will ponder the way that is blameless.” This isn’t the first time anyone will hear this but sometimes we need reminders. What you think about will be what is manifest in your life. If you are continually allowing sinful things to have space and time in your mind, you probably won’t be able to stay pure and live a holy life. There are scientific studies that show if you think about something that you are grateful for, you will be more content. The thoughts you allow in your mind will be the rudder that steers the ship of your life.

David asks God when will God come to him. It shows us where David’s heart is. It shows us that the desire of his heart is to be in God’s presence.

This next line is something I want to work through in more detail. “I will walk in the integrity of my heart within my house.” A definition of integrity that I think is applicable for this verse is the quality or state of being complete or undivided. Integrity is being the same person even when no one is watching. I don’t think any of us want to think that we display a “for show” version of ourselves but I think most of us do. Do you think that you are whole in what you think is right in your heart and do in your actions? This is something I really want to be a part of my life.

For a long time, I have known that God is the only place that I can truly be satisfied. I have found this to be an extremely prominent theme in scripture. Here are seven Psalm 107.9, Isaiah 58.11, Jeremiah 31.25, Psalm 91.16, Isaiah 55.2, Mark 15.15, Psalm 132.15. Also, via google there is a page that has 54 verses regarding satisfaction in God. So, it’s kind of a big deal. I know that God is the only one in whom I can find contentment, satisfaction, peace, and fulfillment. I know this and yet I let myself believe the lie that other things may satisfy.  In this way I am not walking in the integrity of my heart.

There is a chasm between what I believe to be true and what I do.

I started out the devotion asking you who you wanted to be. I think that person would be the one who walks in the integrity of your heart.

I can offer you a little insight if you are younger and tell you that you may not ever be the person you want to be but I will tell you that you should be content with making progress and putting in the effort to walk in the integrity of heart.

I hope that you will join me in reorienting your life or continue the process of walking in the integrity of your heart and becoming who you want to be and who God has called you to be.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+89%2C+96%2C+100%2C+101%2C+105%2C+132&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be back to the life of David – 2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17 – as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan