Mornings with Meaning: Daily Devotions for Spiritual Growth

MONDAY, 1 JANUARY 2024

TEXT: Psalms 101:1-8

1: I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.

2: I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.

3: I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.

4: The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

5: Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.

6: My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

7: No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

8: Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.

TOPIC: WORSHIP, PRAISE THE LORD AND LEAD A BLAMELESS LIFE THIS YEAR

I wonder what your New Year resolution was yesterday as you crossed over into 2024. Whatever it is, I strongly urge you to make today's text your resolution too.

This is because the Psalmist knew that God is a God of justice and resolved to praise, worship Him and live a blameless life so that he would not be caught on the wrong side of God's justice.

He went ahead to enumerate what he needed to avoid in his quest to live a blameless life. These include faithlessness, evil, slander, pride, deceit and falsehood and wickedness.

Now, if you try to keep away from all these through the strength of the flesh, as the Israelites tried to do under the Law by keeping the Ten Commandments, you will end up failing woefully.

Read Galatians 5:16-18 for the secret of victory over all sins, Including the one listed by the Psalmist. Also read Romans 12:1-3.

In a nutshell, for you to live a blameless life this year and always, you should be filled with the Holy Spirit so that you can live and walk in the Spirit. And you will have power to stop gratifying the desires of the sinful nature.

QUESTION: What is your New Year resolution?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I have resolved to praise and worship You and live a blameless life this year and thereafter. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I will be empowered to praise and worship You in Spirit and in truth and to live in victory over sin, in Jesus name. Amen.