Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Our society is one that loves to rationalize its actions. People want to do whatever they choose without consequence. And if anyone says anything, the famous rebuttal, “The Bible says don’t judge,” shows up quickly. While the Bible does say that in a very particular context, it is also very direct on how we should live our lives. In Psalm 101, David unapologetically lays out how he will live and, within that, how he will handle evil in his life. He speaks in a way we do not see enough of today, out of Christian men. 

He starts by singing about God’s love and justice, and then says something awesome: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life.” How many Christ followers say that? How many try to live that way? He continues to say, “I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.” Primarily, we should always seek Godly wisdom in how we handle our family, and we should be mindful not to pursue anything vile. Another way to say vile is morally bad or wicked. Our language, anger, pride, and jealousy are all just a few vile behaviors we should be mindful not to pursue. They stay in our hearts and prevent us from truly pursuing God and His will for our lives. It is an impossible task without God’s help. 

David continues with “I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.” Do we hate what faithless people do? Do we have nothing to do with what is evil? I think many times, Christ followers are silent when it comes to evil. This world consistently tries to normalize evil and immoral behavior. It is not okay, and we should distance ourselves from that behavior. The world should see our lives and know we are different. If we consume and take part in the same evil things of the world, how are we different? We are not, and we are hypocrites. 

David finishes with strong words. “Every morning, I will put to silence all the wicked in the land. I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.” Be aggressive against the evil one and the wicked every day! From the moment we wake up, we should pray for wisdom and courage to be who God has called us to be in every situation. This means putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations at times to teach people to know, love, and follow Jesus Christ. We should not hide from those moments but pursue them and aggressively pursue our Savior while never approving of anything that is sin.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live a blameless life, pursuing Your Will and leading the charge against anything vile.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God's Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today's passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.