You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
There is a funny joke that goes, “I used to lack humility but now I am perfect.” If there is one thing people hate more than hearing bossy people, it is seeing self-righteous people. Meet David in Psalm 17! There is an explanation for this. In verses 1 and 2 of this psalm, David appears to boss God around and now he appears to be telling God how great he is and how God will find no sin because David is pure. We know better and so did David and of course, God. He himself told Satan about Job that he was “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil”
Psalm 51 shows another side of David and Job despised himself and repented. These are lessons to all of us that we can tell God what to do, not because we are his boss but because he is the only one who can do it. We can declare righteousness to God only because Jesus gave us his righteousness. We must repent and cry out to him like David did in this prayer,
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God.
Call on him today.
Dear Lord, thank you for hearing this prayer. May we hear your reply to follow you and worship you for your authority and righteousness for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church