"I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart."

Psalm 101:1-2

We could call this psalm ‘the politician’s prayer’! It is almost certainly King David’s expression of his longing for integrity in his personal and political life. Yet we should not limit this prayer to great leaders. More widely, it expresses a concern for a life that reflects the love and justice of God. That’s where David starts, with God and his desire to be like him in all his interactions. If this is to happen, he needs God to ‘come to me’ (v. 2), to convey his presence and grace. It must be lived out in the context of a ‘blameless’ life (v. 2), even in the complicated area of national government.

Part of being ‘blameless’ before God is to renounce evil. David will choose carefully what he approves of and what he hates. We can never be casual about who we listen to or whose company we keep. Sadly, as we look at the life of David, we know that he did not always live by them. That makes us especially grateful to one of David’s ‘house’ (his dynasty) who was blameless, without spot or blemish, who rules us with unadulterated love and justice

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord God, I confess that my commitments are not always as trustworthy as yours. Forgive me and help me to be faithful in what I do for you and in how I relate to those around me.

(Edited from Encounter with God)