Upright Before God - Psalms 18:23

In Psalms chapter eighteen David said, “I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me”, and in chapter eighteen and verse twenty-three of Psalms David said, “I was also upright before him” where we read,

I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

The verse begins, “I was also upright before him, ...” David began with the words, “I was also upright” which means “I, David, existed even so and indeed complete, whole, entire, sound and healthful” “before him” or “in front and in the presence of Jehovah God”. David claimed himself to be complete and healthful in front of God.

The verse continues, “... and I kept myself from my iniquity.” David added the words, “and I kept myself” or “and I, David, guarded, observed, gave heed to, protected and had charge of his own self” “from my iniquity” which means “separate and apart from my, David's, perversity, depravity, guilt and conditions meriting punishment”. David wrote how he protected himself from depravity and guilty conditions that deserved punitive actions.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn more about David's own appraisal of himself before Jehovah God. He believed that he was “sound and healthy” in his relationship with God, and he always guarded his own behavior so that he never committed perverse and depraved acts. Those who have studied the life of David know this was certainly not the case for all his life, and his personal assessment of himself altered greatly later on. David realized what God said through the apostle Paul, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (See Romans 3:10), and everyone needs a “Savior” to free them from the bondage of sin within them. Jesus Christ, God's Son, came into the world to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and when we submit to Him, He will forgive us for our sins and grant us everlasting life with Him. Let all praise be unto Jehovah God who knows what we are really like inside and continues to desire a personal relationship with us.

Next time David says, “the LORD recompensed me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".