A Life Lived In Light of God's Ways

³ You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
⁴ I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
⁵ My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

⁶ I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
⁷ Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.
⁸ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

-Psalm 17:3-8 (NLT)

Yesterday, we studied in verse 3 of Psalm 17, with the topic being about God trying us. I challenged you to think about what God would find if He tested your thoughts, examined your heart and scrutinized you. Would He find nothing wrong, or would He find a life lived in sin? Today, I want to take a look at verses 4-5 of Psalm 17, and study on the topic of a life lived in light of God's ways. Let's dig in.

Verse 4 & 5 says, "I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you." Wow! There are some important things we must note, if we want God to find nothing wrong in our lives when He tries us. David says, "I have followed your commands..." Can you say that? For that matter, can I say that? Do we really follow the commands of Jesus? Do we even know what they are? When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, "³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”" (Matthew 22:37-40. Here's something to ponder, do you and I really love God with all our heart, soul & mind? Do you and I really love our neighbor as ourselves? If you can't answer "yes" then you really haven't followed the commands of God. The results of following the commands of God are found at the end of Psalm 17:4, "which keep me from following cruel and evil people." The fact of the matter is this: If you want to follow the commands of God, then you must not follow cruel and evil people. Why? Because cruel & evil people will pull you away from God and His commands. David goes on to say in verse 5, "My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you." Again, powerful statements from David. Here is another thing to ponder: Do you even know the path that God wants you to follow? David says that he has stayed on the path that God has given him, and has not wavered from following God. This is the result of living a life that has been tested from God, found authentic, and a life lived following the commands of God, and staying away from the influence of the world.

The words of Paul in Second Timothy 4:7 come to mind as I think of these verses from Psalm 17. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful." When you come to the end of life, can you say that you have remained faithful to God? Can you say that you've followed His commands, stayed on the path, and avoided being drawn away by evil? Can you say that for the way you lived yesterday? Commit today as the day you start living for Jesus. Think About It.