With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
Psalm 17:4
God’s people have always had the challenge of living above the ways of sinful humanity. God calls us to righteous living. David sings in this Psalm about navigating the tension of the “ways of man” and avoiding the “ways of the violent”. How did he achieve success while living with the reality of those pressures? How did David find the power and ability to please God and keep His commands amidst such a chaotic culture?
The answer to these questions is found in the wisdom, strength, and power of the Word of God. David committed to knowing, loving, and obeying scripture. “By the word of your lips I have avoided…” was the reason for David’s remarkable confidence and success. He was confident not in his own power. He saw the truth of God lead him from the works of violent men. David was a man of the Word, stable amidst the chaos of surrounding culture. Scripture held his heart true to God. Scripture ordered his thoughts and directed his heart to do what God asked of him. God’s Word kept the King faithful, and it does the same for us today!
Lord Jesus,
You are the Living Word. And as I obey the gospel, as I turn from sin and cling to Your grace, as I let Your Spirit fill my thoughts and incline my heart to the wisdom of Your Word, I believe that You will help me navigate a destructive, sin-filled, hateful, violent, and chaotic culture. We live in a world where the works of man defy Your truth and devalue Your creation daily! And violent men by force now destroy with so much pain, greed, and defiance. O how we long for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Who will end all this chaos and restore us by the Word of Your mouth. Do so soon! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Amen
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