A Committed Follower of Christ – Psalm 101

“A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and justice, to You, O Lord, I will sing praises.” Psalm 101:1

David sang praises to the Lord. God was the “action” hero who provided for him mercy and justice. The evil one sought to destroy him throughout his life, but as Paul later wrote in 2 Timothy 4:18, it was also true for David: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Thus, David reserved his praises for God alone.

Paul also wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We should thank and praise God whether He is pruning us or allowing us to flourish. God is working all things together for good for us who love Him and are called by Him. He promised us this in Romans 8:28.

“I will behave wisely in a perfect way. O, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:2

David began this Psalm with singing praises to the Lord. After worshipping the Lord, he considered his daily routines. Was he behaving wisely? Were his actions saying, “I love You Lord” or “Not now Lord – only come to me on Sabbaths?” Was his heart pursuing God? David wanted the Lord to come to him daily. His behavior during weekdays was also worship to God.

David pursued excellence for God’s glory both in the work place and at home. He willingly submitted to the disciplines of the Lord. [1] He conformed his lifestyle to God’s ways. He was a disciple of the Lord.

David prayed, “Oh, when will You come to me?” He did not want to hide from God as Adam and Eve did after they sinned. He desired God's presence in his home. He wanted God to come to him. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” We must have God to have a godly home environment.

“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3

Years ago, I learned that there is a Bible verse in the King James Version of the Bible about TV. In Psalm 119:37, there is a word that begins with “T” and a word that begins with “V.” “Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.” The New King James Version of this text is, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” So much of what is on TV is vain and worthless. Those who walk wisely will not let a TV spew forth blasphemy and vulgarity into their homes.

David was careful about those he allowed into his household and government. He would not encourage sinful people, give them influence, or allow them to spread corruption. [2]

“A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness.” Psalm 101:4

In Job 1:8, the Lord said of His servant Job, “There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” In Job 31:1, Job declared, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman?” In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” A TV show or theater movie does not have to be rated, TV14, PG, R or X to be perverse in nature. If the images evoke perverse thoughts, or if God’s name or if a slang for God’s name is used like “Gosh” for “God” or “Gee” for “Jesus,” it is good to shun such evil and to honor God.

Do we have a “high place” that we refuse to purge? “High places were locations outside of the Jerusalem Temple where Israelites went to offer sacrifices and worship, often intermingling Canaanite idolatry with the worship of the Lord.” [3] Solomon built them for his pagan wives.

Personally, I refuse to honor Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Halloween. God alone deserves the glory for sending His Son into the world to save us. God alone keeps us from evil and causes our fields to produce generous crops of food for us to eat. Yes, people can chemically enhance plants and livestock, but some chemicals are harmful, and it is never good to partake of poison.

The Bible notes that some good kings failed to purge Israel of its high places. “Kings as good as Asa, whose heart was “wholly true to the Lord all his days,” did not remove the high places (1 Kings 15:14). Jehoshaphat and Jotham did “what was right in the sight of the Lord,” and “Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places” (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 15:34-35). These stubborn centers of idolatry were a perpetual stain in Israelite worship.”

“Overall, high places plagued Israel off-and-on right up until the exile. The list of those who had the courage and wisdom to remove them for a generation is short. Only kings Hezekiah and Josiah tore them down (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23:19).” [4]

Which “high places” have remained among us for generations with no one willing to remove them? David not only avoided wrongdoing. He hated it. Zeal for God consumed him.

“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” Psalm 101:5

Slanderers tarnish people’s image. This is what many news stations do. They seek for bad stories about people, and if they cannot find one, they create one. Such people create conflict because their motive is selfish in nature and not motivated by God’s love.

David opposed haughty looks and proud hearts. So did Jesus! In Matthew 23:4-7, Jesus called out the Pharisees for doing their works for self-serving purposes. They loved the best seats in the synagogues and special greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi.” Jesus taught, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

“My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.” Psalm 101:6

David sought trustworthy and godly people to serve with him. He looked for people who loved God and people. Godly character mattered more to David than surface attractiveness.

Christ welcomes faithful servants into His presence. In Matthew 25:21, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

“He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house. He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.” Psalm 101:7

Unlike rulers who used deceit to accomplish their goals, David removed liars from his presence.

Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” The devil’s destiny is the lake of fire.

“Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.” Psalm 101:8

David’s concern extended beyond his own household and court. He wanted righteousness to spread throughout the nation. He acted quickly against proven wrongdoing. He enforced justice without delay. His goals included the honor of God and the purity of God’s people. [5]

A nation is weakened and destroyed by persistent wickedness. Therefore, everyone should do what they can in their own sphere of influence to promote righteousness and oppose evil. [6]

David’s efforts point forward to the day when Christ purges heaven and earth from evil. Nothing sinful will exist in New Jerusalem. [7]

Psalm 101 is about being a disciple of Jesus. There is a difference between being a “Christian” in name-only and a committed follower of Christ. A committed disciple wants the Lord to mentor and fill him or her daily with His Spirit. He or she wants others to see Jesus in his or her life.



[1] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] www.bcne.net/articles/tear-down-the-high-places, article by Rick Harrington
[4] Ibid
[5-7] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary