“Wow! What a ruler as this!”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Psalm 101 (Forward, p. 16) CEV p. 616
I am sure that many of us would think that David’s account of what an ideal ruler should be like should be the template for those in authority in our world today. Just hear what he has to say. The ruler:
-first off, asks for God’s help in teaching him to do the right thing.
that, I must say, is a good start, the best one that anyone could ever
hope for. He will study in the way that is blameless.
-he will be honest and fair in the exercise of his authority. He will
walk with integrity of the heart. He will live a pure life and will never
tolerate evil.
-he won’t have any part in corruption, or crooked dealings, and won’t
be dishonest or deceitful. He will not tolerate things that are evil,
corrupt, base, or worthless. Perverseness of heart will be far from
him. He will have nothing to do with the actions of those who turn
away from God.
-he will silence those who spread gossip or slander (oh, wouldn’t this
be great given the spread of fake news, lies and innuendos on public
and social media alike.)
-he won’t make friends with conceited, proud, or arrogant people.
(Hear, hear!)
-he will only appoint trustworthy people, people who are faithful to
God, as his advisors and completely honest, blameless people as his
officials.
-no cheaters or liars or hypocrites, or people that practice deceit, will
find a position in his government.
-lawbreakers will be rooted out and expelled, whether from the city or
the countryside, and that, quickly.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had people in authority like this! But then, how would they get elected if they weren’t able to stoop to such things as false or misleading promises, questionable attacks upon the opposition parties or others, or currying favour with people and companies of questionable motives and policies? It seems hardly possible, but even so, let us pray for those in government and for those seeking election, that better candidates—those who try to adhere to the model set forth in this psalm—might be elected or find themselves in positions of power or influence, and that the electoral process might be better suited to returning stalwart and trustworthy candidates to office.
Forward notes: “I will strive to follow a blameless course; oh, when will you come to me? I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house” (verse 2).
“We should always strive to set a good example at home. But I will admit to feeling that family can be our harshest critic. I regret some of my actions when my kids were little. And occasionally, these mistakes show up in my son’s sermons.
“I, too, have been critical of my parents. My mother was a single parent for a time, working two jobs to support her three daughters. She was tired, had low self-esteem, and was forced to give more than she had. One day, I must have pushed my mom to her limit because she threatened to sell me to a stranger on the street corner for a quarter. Of course, she was joking, but the sting of her words has lasted a lifetime.
“When the course we set is not so blameless, we can only recover by grace. David speaks to that sentiment—crying out for God to intervene. He reminds us that we need God’s help, especially in our own home, when we struggle to act and to forgive as we should.”
Moving Forward: “How can you reconcile a hurtful act or omission by a family member? Can you ask for forgiveness, and can you receive it?”
A concluding note: it is intensely sad that King David was not able to live up to his noble sentiments and resolve, as found in today’s psalm. As his later life unfolded, he certainly did not ‘walk with sincerity of heart within my house’. And it seemed to begin so easily, unintentionally, and naturally. He chose, for whatever reason, not to go with his army out on their usual spring maneuvers, their usual spring military forays. Probably we will never know just why he made that choice. Was he just plain lazy, or occupied with other matters? Or was he tired of the ‘same old, same old’, wanting a change? We will never know. But, whatever the reason, instead of being out in the field, he was up on the roof. And there, the devil made use of idle fingers, or this case, idle eyes, which can be worse. And there the integrity, the sincerity of heart, went out the window. And from that ‘fatal mistake’ came all sorts of other insincerities in his household—as expressed with his dealings with his wayward sons! But then, doesn’t that sound like all of us: little things can have such serious and long-term consequences. But thanks be to God, that with His abundant mercies and His great forgiveness, we can start again.