Psalms 18:20

Psalms 18:20 says, The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.  David said God rewarded him according to his righteousness and the cleanness of his hands.   I believe this would have meant David keeping God's covenant and living in accordance with God's will.  We today do not want to be judged by our righteousness, but by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Our own righteousness will fail us, but after accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we do need to keep our hands dedicated to doing God's work.  Verse twenty-one adds, For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.  David said he had kept the ways of the LORD and had not departed from them.  We know that he did not always do this, but his life was dedicated to following God.   We cannot claim to have always lived in accordance with God's will, but this should be our primary objective as followers of Christ.  Verse twenty-two continues, For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.  David said he kept God's statutes before him and did not depart from them.  Though we will never be able to claim salvation through keeping God's statutes, we should always know them and attempt to follow them.  Verse twenty-three declares, I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.  David once more said he was upright in his relationship with God and that he didn't allow iniquity in his life.  He was speaking of his overall relationship with God, I believe.  We know that David did sin, but he always sincerely repented and returned to God.  We cannot claim to be perfect, but we can claim to be made perfect by our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.   Verse twenty-four adds, Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.  David said God knew he was innocent of the things he was being accused of as a leader.  We need to be innocent of anything bad that we might be accused of in the world today if we arecto look to God for protection.  Verse twenty-five states, With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;  David said that God would show Himself to be merciful and upright to those who were merciful and upright.  Since God is merciful and upright with everyone, I believe that we can more accurately say that since God is merciful and upright with us that He expects us to be that way with others and Him.  Verse twenty-six adds, With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.  David said that God would deal with people based on their relationship with Him.  We either accept that God is in charge and has provided a way to salvation or we deny Him and the salvation He has provided for us.  Verse twenty-seven continues, For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.  David said that God would save those who recognized their need for salvation, but would bring down those who felt they were above the need for salvation, putting their faith in their own abilities instead.   Verse twenty-eight concludes, For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.  David said that God would light his way in the darkness of the world, and He still will today for those who put their faith in Him.  The darkness of the world can ever overcome the light of God.