Make Commitments To The Lord And Keep Them
Commitments we make carry a lot of weight. People often start strong with fresh determination, yet many promises collapse under pressure, distraction, or self-interest.
Psalm 101 offers a blueprint for faithful living before God. David, Israel’s king, set for himself personal resolutions for his reign. His words, however, transcended a political platform.
They rose as a spiritual declaration, as he publicly declared commitments he had chosen to make before God. He began with a commitment to exalt the Lord with praise.
I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. Psalm 101:1
Exaltation and worship anchored David’s commitments. Without worship, resolutions drift into self-help slogans. With worship, they take root in God’s character.
Consider your own commitments. Do they rise from your gratitude for God’s love? Do they reflect His justice? Worship aligns our hearts with His purposes.
When praise fills our mouths, obedience often follows. Commitments gain strength when we ground them in adoration for our Lord.
Do you make commitments to God lightly? Do you proclaim them boldly but with faint effort? David’s prayer reminds us that vows matter. God listens when His children make promises.
Keep the Commitments You Make With Integrity
God calls us to keep all the commitments we make with integrity and with wholehearted obedience. David pledged to do that very thing.
I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. Psalm 101:2
David didn’t only seek public approval, he desired integrity when no one watched him. Blameless living requires wisdom, caution, and focus, while careless choices erode our character.
Our culture often elevates image over reality. In Psalm 51:6, we find, “God delights in truth within the heart.” When you walk with integrity in private, public faithfulness becomes possible.
David vowed to lead a life of integrity in his home. Spiritual influence does not begin in palace courts or public gatherings, but around the family table.
Your spouse, children, and others close to you observe the reality of your faith more closely than anyone else. Therefore, they would see if you make or break the commitments you’ve made.
Hypocrisy destroys credibility. Living as a Christian on Sundays but with anger the rest of the week undercuts the message. Commitments before the Lord must flow through your household.
Keep Your Eyes in Check And Reject Corruption
David probably wrote this Psalm after his encounter with Bathsheba. He watched her bathe, which led to adultery and the murder of her husband. So, he made the following commitment.
I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. Psalm 101:3
David, from experience, recognized the danger of corrupt influences. Our eyes serve as gateways to our hearts. What we watch, read, or scroll through can easily shape our desires.
In a digital world filled with many temptations, this verse challenges us. Commitments we make will slowly crumble when we feed on poison, especially if we keep going back for more.
Entertainment, online browsing, and conversations, both digital and face-to-face, must honor Christ. Therefore, to protect your heart, set boundaries, and become accountable to someone.
Our actions will see the evidence of the commitments we make. David used strong language, conveying a firm resolve to refuse to compromise with corruption.
I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. 101:3-4
Commitments to the Lord demand courage. Sometimes faithfulness requires that we distance ourselves from unhealthy relationships. Other times, it may demand confronting dishonesty.
Or it may force you to step away from gains acquired through questionable means. The easy part of commitments comes when you make them. Following through with them could be tougher.
Choose Faithful Companions and Remove Wickedness
I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. Psalm 101:6
David promised to surround himself with the faithful. Why? Because companionship can shape our commitments and influence the decisions we make. The writer of Proverbs touched on this.
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Proverbs 13:20
Godly friendships provide encouragement, accountability, and joy. They guard against isolation, where temptation often flourishes. David’s circle of influence determined the tone of his reign.
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip. Psalm 101:7–8
David declared that liars and deceivers would not remain in his presence. He refused to tolerate evil in his household or his kingdom. Let his words challenge you to evaluate your environment.
David made some strong commitments, but like us, his resolutions fell short because of sin. Psalm 101 points us toward a greater King, Jesus, who kept His commitments to the Father.
He lived with perfect integrity, purity, and obedience. He surrounded Himself with faithful disciples, removed evil from His presence, and fulfilled every vow.
Through His Spirit, He enables us to walk in faithfulness. Our hope rests on Christ. He strengthens us to keep the commitments we make and forgives us when we stumble.
An Application for Keeping the Commitments You Make
Psalm 101 challenges us to evaluate all the commitments we make. The Lord expects us to keep each one of them. So, consider using these guiding questions to help you achieve that goal.
- Worship: Do I frame the commitments I make with praise for God’s love and justice?
- Integrity: Am I faithful in private, where only God sees and hears me?
- Home: Do I lead my household with godliness?
- Purity: Am I guarding my eyes and heart from corruption?
- Companions: Do I surround myself with faithful believers?
- Action: Am I actively removing sin and deceit from every area in my life?
Each “I will” statement of David invites us to mirror the same resolve. Commitment without action fades quickly. Commitment paired with prayer, accountability, and Spirit-empowered obedience endures.
Lord, one of the first commitments I need to make to you is to be faithful in everything I do. That is only achievable with your help and guidance.
When we make commitments God takes them seriously. Read some other posts on making commitments.
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