Read part 2 and part 3.

New Year’s profession to follow in the blameless way.

In the early 80’s I heard a brother, Des Evans, share on this passage as a devotional with a small group of brothers in Dallas, Texas. From that time on I have begun the New Year professing and reflecting on how to be faithful and accountable in walking it out.

David professes a standard to walk by in his relationship with the Lord. This is not a self help list or a self improvement adjustment. Nine times he says, “I will carefully attend to keep me in the blameless way.” When I meditate on these, it is a good way to measure my walk by the Holy Ghost standard found in His Word.

David holds true to his relationship with the Lord in singing. declaring God’s nature, and His worthiness to be praised. He sings of the mercy and justice of God—God the judge of all mankind and man’s way. As he does all through the Psalms, he implores us to sing to the Lord, sing praises.

Paul writes in Ephesians 5 concerning being spirit filled: singing psalms, hymns, singing in the spirit, making melody in your heart. David says “I will sing” some 13 times in his Psalms. He declares the greatness and awesomeness of His Lord and God.

We read in Psalm 59:16: “I will sing of thy power, yea, I will sing a loud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou has been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.” He follows up in verse 17: “unto thee, O my strength, I will sing; for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.” In Psalm 75:9 he sings: “I will declare forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.”

These are just a few examples of his heart’s awareness of his Lord and who He is. The first priority of David—his “I will”—is to sing to the Lord. I will sing praises and for David, the praises of God will be continually in his mouth.

To be continued…looking into this passage for the New Year. Sing Praise!

–Keith Curlee, president

Psalm 101

A Psalm of David.

I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, Lord, I will sing praises.
I will carefully attend to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall leave me;
I will know no evil.
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
I will not endure one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart.

My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
One who walks in a blameless way is one who will serve me.
One who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
One who speaks lies shall not maintain his position before me.
Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to eliminate from the city of the Lord all those who do injustice.