The Watchman's Diary

Have you ever woke up from a dream with a message that overwhelms you, so much so that it consumes your entire day?

It is so easy to stray off into the woods when the message is so simple, it requires no further thought. I don’t know if that is I did today after I woke up from a dream just as I received a message to read Psalm 101 but I believe the message wasn’t just for me.  So here it is:

“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 will I 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)

I am confident that you will take something away from this Psalm of David but I would like each of us to ponder a few things.  Some of which I been pondering since sharing my dream with a friend.

•Do I wake up singing of God’s mercy and justice?

•Do I sing praises to God throughout the day, everyday?

•Is my behavior always acceptable in His sight?

•Do I restrain myself from indulging in vile entertainment?

•Do we as individuals and as a people seek righteousness and walk according to the standards of God?

I hear people complain more than we sing songs of praise; something I am very much guilty of. We try to redefine that which God has already defined in scripture and set in place our own standard of measurement for sin, morality, ethics, justice, etc. Even this post reads as a long list of complaints, even if it intended as a compilation of reflective thoughts aimed at embracing the grace of God though Christ Jesus. A grace that I still do not fully understand but will bring me into full understanding by Him who gives it freely and without measure.

In the middle of writing this I received a call from a brother in Christ. He shared my dream with someone who confirmed a shared experience with the theme of this Psalm today. Wow! Don’t you just appreciate how God uses us to confirm his message with each other?

Look around, do you see perversity thriving? Do you see pride slowly chipping aways at us and at the world? Is slander not a thriving business that dominates the daily news? Still, by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, we will dwell with Him in eternity.

An imperfect man wrote this psalm; a man who yielded to desires of the flesh even in his intimate knowledge God. Yet, by grace he is saved and God, being faithful, still acts “for the sake of His servant David”.  God calls us to walk in a perfect way with him, knowing just how imperfect we are. He calls us to flee deceit, lies, wickedness, and all the sins of this dying world to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. Will we heed his call or bend to the dying attractions of this world? Will we be faithful witnesses for Him or seek out the fame and approval of friends and family?

Remember God’s promise to those who transgress the land. It is time to open our eyes and confess our transgressions against one another and against God. We continue to transgress the land which He gave us to care for and time is running out.

God’s grace and mercy will endure forever and His justice is certain. Will you approach to His right or to His left?