A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 101

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 101
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure. 
My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord (Psalm 101:1-8).
 
In Psalm 101 David expresses what kind of a king he wanted to be to Israel. He shares many of the moral qualities that should shape the character of every servant of the Lord. These qualities include the values, priorities, and behaviors that are pleasing to God and beneficial to the lives of others.
 
It’s a beautiful thing when the heart of God is being expressed through His people. As believers, all of us are called to be servants of the Lord and extensions of His love through our serving, giving, caring, supporting, guiding, encouraging, helping, and listening. These extensions of God’s love flow from a life that is yielded and filled with the heart of Him who came, “not to be served, but to serve.”
 
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3-5).
 
10 characteristics that express God’s heart to others:
 
*Tender-heartedness—showing mercy and compassion through acts of kindness.
 
*Availability—investing meaningful time with someone, even if it’s inconvenient. 
 
*Humility—taking a lowly place so someone else can be lifted higher. 
 
*Faithfulness—promises and actions that demonstrate loyalty and build trust.
 
*Graciousness—not needing a reason to express love.
 
*Wisdom—making decisions that will result in the highest good and produce the best outcome. 
 
*Truthfulness—the most direct path to real freedom.
 
*Fairness—responding to someone in a way that is righteous, just and impartial.
 
*Sincerity—the evidence that lets others know you really care.
 
*Encouragement—imparting what’s uplifting, faith building, and brings hope for the future.
 
Once, during a hot summer’s day, I needed to stop by a large discount store to buy some items for our home. The place was packed and I had to park at the far end of the parking lot. When I finished shopping I walked out of the air conditioned store pushing a full cart. As I walked across the hot pavement of the parking lot, I dreaded the thought of returning the cart to the store when I finished unloading.
 
Before I reached my car, I noticed a Christian friend unloading his cart several parking spaces from mine. I stopped to greet him and then continued on to my car. When I finished unloading, I wanted to skip returning the cart and leaving it in the parking lot instead. Just then, I saw my friend walking towards me—“Can I return your cart for you?” he asked. I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough!
 
As I watched him walk my cart back to the store, the truth of what had happened became clear…“That was Jesus returning my cart through one of His servants!”
 
Albert W. T. Orsbom wrote the following hymn as a heart-felt prayer for every servant of the Lord who desires to bring God’s heart to the heart of others.

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
May His spirit divine all my being refine,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
When somebody has been so unkind to you,
Some words spoken that pierces you thru and thru;
Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.
From the dawn of the morning to close of day,
In example in deeds and in all you say;
Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.
 
Insight: It is a good thing to do a good thing.
 
Insight: Every follower of the Lord should live a life worth following. 
 
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
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