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Bible Reading:
Psalm 101:
1I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Devotional:
You have heard, perhaps, the story of a certain man who claimed to be sinless. An acquaintance once made the comment to him, 'I'd like to talk to your wife about that.' Immediately the man flew into a rage.
It is in the home where we let down the bars. It may be possible to keep a fairly consistent outward front as we go among our associates in the office, at the market, at church. The constant friction of assorted personalities in the home day after day is what brings out the sinful nature that still lurks within even the one who may have proceeded quite far along the road of sanctifica-
tion!
David in this Psalm is talking about his home. He says, 'I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart' (101:2 NASB). David's house was the palace. In it lived many servants and the royal entourage as well as his family. We may be sure he had the same temptation there as we do in our home to let down the bars and give in to the weakness of the flesh. However, notice how the entire Psalm is a declaration of his intent to glorify God in his house. He wants no deceit, lying, pride, gossiping. He will choose those to live in his house from among people who purpose to keep God's laws. He will search them out and bring them to live there. Those who would spoil the atmosphere of peace in the house will not be permitted to remain!
David surely has a lesson for us. O Lord, help us by Your Spirit to keep David's resolve: 'I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.'
We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."
Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.
Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.
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