Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 101

As Christians, we are called to be salt and light to the world. This not only means we are to share the love of Christ, we are also to set the standard for living through our own lives. Simply put; we are to be like Christ in all we do. 1 John 2:6 instructs us saying that “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” That is a tall order. Psalm 101 gives us nine “I will” statements that should be part of the discipline we seek, in order to walk as Jesus walked. Though this psalm is written by David and looks to be about him; it is also a picture of Christ. As we read Psalm 101, we should put in effect the “I wills” in our own lives.

Psalm 101:1

I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music.

We go to church to worship God, but our lives should be songs for the world to hear and in them we must speak of steadfast love and justice.

Psalm 101:2
I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;

These two “I will” statements go together. To walk with integrity, we must know what integrity is. To ponder the way that is blameless is to read God’s Word and meditate on it. The question “When will God come to me” is answered by grasping that He already has. He has spoken to us in the Bible and when we read it, we are in His very presence.

Psalm 101:3
I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

Our culture is filled with various forms of media. TV, movies, and all this social media is a dangerous place for our eyes. Most of us are guilty; we set worthless things before our eyes. There is a lot of talk about pornography, but what about the things we watch on TV? Though not as graphic, much of it used to be considered pornographic. We must hate the work of those who draw us into worthless viewing and not let it cling to us. Would Jesus watch what we watch on TV? Would He approve of the things we post on Facebook?

Psalm 101:4
A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

Nothing of evil, it says. Nothing.

Psalm 101:5
Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

Our task as Christians is not to destroy these types of people literally, Jesus will handle the judgment when He returns. But we must not be partnering in gossip and arrogance. That we must destroy from our lives. Yes, this includes Facebook.

Psalm 101:6
I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.

Be careful who you hang with. Be careful who you are receiving counsel from, even if they are in ministry. There are preachers, teachers, and even counselors who are giving counsel that does not line up with scripture. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 instructs us to “examine everything.” Everything. And the test is whether it lines up with scripture. This verse reminds us to also look at the lives of those we hang around with to be sure they are blameless.

Side note here: Blameless does not mean sinless. Only Jesus walked this earth without sin. If you only wish to dwell with sinless people, you will have to dwell alone in the world. But blameless means that we agree with God’s Word and we seek to live by it in all we do. These are the people we need in our lives.

Psalm 101:7

No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.

Remember what 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Psalm 101:8
Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

The final ‘I will” speaks of destroying all the wicked. Prophetically this is about the return of Christ. But the spiritual application for us says that we will crucify our own wickedness. Personal holiness must be our daily goal.

The walk of a Christian must be a walk that follows Jesus. Psalm 101 is a reminder of how to stay focused on that path. It sounds hard, maybe impossible, except we have the Holy Spirit, living inside of us to empower us to do it. It is a question of will. Today, we should say “I will” to the commands of Christ and follow Him.