Psalms 101:1

Psalms 101:1 says, A Psalm of David.  This is identified as a psalm of David, then verse one says, I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.  David said he would sing of the mercy and judgment of God, and if we don't accept the mercy of God by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then one day we will face the judgment of God.  Verse two adds, 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.  David said he would behave perfectly when God came to him and that he would walk with a perfect heart.  We should strive to behave perfectly when we come to God through faith in Christ and to walk with a perfect heart, but we still too often fail to do so.  We are only made perfect before God through our faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own actions.  Verse three continues, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.  David said he would set nothing wicked before his eyes and that he hated the work of those who turned aside from God.  As followers of Christ, we should not allow anything other than God's will to become our focus, and we certainly should never turn aside from our faith.  Verse four states, A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.  David said his heart would not stray away from God and that he would not know any wicked person.  Though our heart should never stray away from God, we are called on to reach out to the wicked people of the world with the gospel.  Verse five adds, Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.  David continued to say that he would cut off all those who acted in self satisfying ways instead of following God's leadership, but he was often the same way. I don't believe that we are to claim that we are perfect and above everyone else as Christians.  We are still but sinners saved by grace.  Verse six declares, Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.  David said that he would look to the faithful of the land and that they would serve him.  We should look to other Christians for fellowship, but we should not expect them to serve us.  Verse seven adds, He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.  David said that those who dealt deceitfully would not live in his house.  We often cannot remove all deceitful people from our house or circle of friends, but we can make sure that we are not deceitful ourselves.  Verse eight continues, I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.  Though David said he would quickly destroy all the wicked of the land so that they might be cut off from the city of the LORD, this is not what we are called on to do.  We are to reach out to them with the love of God so that they might put their faith in Christ and become a part of the family of God.