Psalm 101: Worship with Integrity

​Key Verse
2 … I will walk with integrity of heart within my house…
 
Meditation
It has been said that, “The greatest single cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Jesus by their lifestyle.” God’s grace invites us to worship with integrity, with our lips and our lives.
 
In today’s reading king David begins singing of God’s integrity, He Himself modeling steadfast love and justice (v. 1). David hungers to meet with God (v. 2) so his knowledge of God will align with his life and leadership
 
Two cycles emphasize David’s desire (vv. 2-5 and vv. 6-8). First, David commits to walking “with integrity of heart within my house” (v.2) before resolving to guard his eyes and heart (vv. 3-4) and remove slanderers from his sight (v. 5). Second, David highlights the blamelessness of a life lived with integrity, (v. 6) guarding his eyes from liars (v. 7) and removing wickedness and evil doers from his domain (v. 8). 
 
Integrity of worship comes when we respond to God’s grace by guarding our heart and eyes, removing what is ungodly and unhealthy from our domain, while seeking to live blameless in His name. Integrity is a “morning by morning” (v. 8) commitment that is practiced in public and private.
 
The comprehensive prescription leads to deep conviction, confession that we have not worshipped faithfully with lips and life! Jesus lived with perfect integrity before He was put to death in our place. Through Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice believers have strength to guard our heart and eyes, remove what is ungodly and unhealthy from our domain, and seek to live blamelessly in His name. 
 
Today’s Reading
​I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
    to you, O Lord, I will make music.
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;
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.

4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
    I will know nothing of evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
    I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
    I will not endure.
 
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.
7 No one who practices deceit
    shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
    shall continue before my eyes.
8 Morning by morning I will destroy
    all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
    from the city of the Lord.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially David’s desire to worship the Lord with integrity?
 
-Do you worship the Lord with integrity, your knowledge of God aligning from your heart with your lips and life- in public and in private? Why or why not?

-How can you respond to God’s grace, to live in view of God’s mercy with life of worship from your heart, through your eyes, in your relationships, and throughout the domain Jesus has entrusted to you? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
2 … I will walk with integrity of heart within my house…