Daily Devotional • October 1
Psalm 101
1 I will sing of mercy and justice;
to you, O LORD, will I sing praises.
2 I will strive to follow a blameless course;
oh, when will you come to me?
I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the doers of evil deeds;
they shall not remain with me.
4 A crooked heart shall be far from me;
I will not know evil.
5 Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy;
those who have a haughty look and a proud
heart I cannot abide.
6 My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may
dwell with me,
and only those who lead a blameless life shall
be my servants.
7 Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house,
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.
8 I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land,
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the LORD.
Meditation
Imagine Psalm 101 as the stump speech of a political candidate. The first point of the campaign rally is not about the faults of their rivals but a shout of their own resolve: “I will walk with integrity of heart” (v. 2). Instead of slinging mud on the other parties, they pledge that “Perverseness of heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil” (v. 4). These parallels are, of course, roughly drawn. King David, who wrote Psalm 101, is the ruler of ancient Israel, a theocracy, which our government is not. Still, the exercise helps us recognize that a king’s righteous resolve before God is the heart of this psalm. Truly just leaders seek integrity, eschew slander, and have the character and morality to enforce justice and push back against evil.
Psalm 101 is a fitting guide of prayer for our leaders. It is also a fitting prayer and examen for ourselves. Are we calling for an integrity in our leaders that is lacking within ourselves? David was Israel’s royal king, but through Christ, the true Davidic king, we have become a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). We too are called to walk in integrity and holiness by the mercies of God.
David did not rule in full integrity before God, and his son, Solomon, strayed away even more (1 Kg. 11:4). Thus, Psalm 101 can be read as a pledge of resolve not fully realized. Read in the broad sweep of Scripture, Psalm 101 is proof that our resolve to integrity will always fall short due to the persistence of sin. This does not excuse us from the call to integrity, but it does lift our eyes to Christ, the only faithful ruler—and the one whose Spirit can lead us to become increasingly just like him.
Claude Atcho is the pastor of Church of the Resurrection in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the author of Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
Episcopal Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Marietta, Georgia
The Diocese of Owo – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
