Commit

9 Commitments of David

How are you New Year’s Resolutions going? January is almost over, have you stuck with it? If you are like me, and most Americans, you have already given up on most of your New Year’s resolutions. I tried to give up soda, and I have, unless you count “Diet Cherry Limeade’s” from Sonic for happy hour a soda… I’m not sure!

Today, we are going to look at nine positive commitments that David made to God. These were not resolutions, but solid commitments.  To “Commit” means “to give in trust, put into the hands or power of another, to do, to engage, to pledge.”

In this commitments, you will notice that David says “I will” as if it is a fact. He doesn’t say “I will try” or “I strive,” but simply that he will. “Trying” and “Striving” are weasel words because you can weasel your way out by saying, “Hey, I tried…” NO! These commitments were made to God. God is the ultimate accountability partner because He knows everything you do (or don’t do), even if you think you can get away with it.

As we read through these, we need to make these personal, make these your own.

1. Commitment to my walk.

Psalm 39:1a: “I will watch my ways…”

Psalm 37:5a: “Commit your way to the Lord.”

People are watching you, make sure your walk matches your talk. If you say you care for people, make sure you actually do. People can see hypocrisy and inauthentic Christians from a mile away. If our priorities are correct, your walk will match your talk. I suggest starting each day by committing it to the Lord:

Dear Lord Jesus, You know my schedule and those I could interact with today. I want to make myself available to you today. If you have a person you want me to talk to, or someone you want me to help, let me know and I will help them or talk with them. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen [From “Weapons of Righteousness” training by Dr. Gil Stieglitz]

2. Commitment in my speech.

Psalm 39:1b: “I will… keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

The tongue is powerful. James 1:26 says: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James goes on to compare the tongue to a bit in a horses mouth, the rudder of a ship, and a small spark that lights a forest (James 3). Each one of these shows that even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it is powerful, able to direct the course of your life or light others on fire (and not in a good way). As such, we should speak kindly. As your mother used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.”

Jesus says in Luke 6:45: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

You have heard the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out.” It is true. What we let into our hearts is what comes out of our mouths. When I have found my tongue slipping, I evaluate my life. Have I been watching or listening to something that I shouldn’t? Most times, the answer is yes.

So, to quote my mother again, “Watch your mouth!”

3. Commitment to obey God’s Word.

Psalm 86:11a: “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness…”

Psalm 119:8: “I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.”

Psalm 119:69b: “I keep your precepts with all my heart.”

Psalm 119:106: “I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous law.”

John 14:15: “If you love me, keep my commands.”

In order to obey God’s Word, we must know what the Bible says. This means we will read it, memorize it, and meditate on it. So often we complicate things. We need to follow the KISS principle, “Keep It Simple Saint.” When the Bible says to take care of widows and orphans, that is what we should do! When the Bible talks about honoring parents, we should honor our parents. So often we get into arguments about whether or not one of the commands in the Bible applies to us that we forget about the principle of the command and ignore what is God’s will. Yes, we’ve been saved by grace, we are not under the law, but we were also created to do good works. Do them!

4. Commitment to wisdom in my conduct.

Psalm 101:2a: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life…”

Blameless means “complete, whole, entire, sound; without fault.” This means we do what’s right, all the time. We should seek counsel and advice from those who are wiser. We need to learn from others mistakes. When I became a teenager, I knew everything; my parents were not the brightest people. However, as I age, I see now that they knew a lot more than I ever gave credit for. I wish I had listened to their counsel, and the advice of my youth pastor more often.

5. Commitment of my walk at home.

Psalm 101:2b: “I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.”

We must start at home. When you were a kid, you were able to see the hypocrisy of your parents. I guarantee your kids see it in you too. Lead your kids, lead your spouse, in GRACE and with humility. In addition to God’s manual on parenting and marriage (The Bible!), Dr. Tim Kimmel has written some amazing books that I highly recommend: Grace-Based Parenting, and Grace-Filled Marriage.

One other resource to help you with your walk at home is your local church. It is vital to be connected to a local body of believers that have permission to speak into your life. Here at Faith Bible Church, we have couples who have been married a week and some as long as 60+ years! Let the church help you and your marriage!

6. Commitment to my past promises.

Psalm 116:14: “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

Not just vows to God, but all commitments. When I became an uncle, I would make promises to my nieces and nephew that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep. My sister scolded me, harshly, and reminded me that I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep. Similarly, when you committed to your marriage in front of God and family, you probably used the words, “Till death do us part…”. That’s a commitment you must keep. Be a promise keeper.

7. Commitment to God’s name.

Psalm 86:12b: “I will glorify your name forever.”

The Lord’s name is powerful! Over and over again in Scripture we read, “In my name,” “In Jesus’ name,” or “In his name.” Listen to the power in Jesus’ name:

The devils were powerless because of his name (Luke 10:17).

• The demons were cast out in his name (Mark 16:17-18).
• Healing occurred in his name (Acts 3:6, 3:16, 4:10).
• Salvation comes in his name (Acts 4:12-“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”, Romans 10:13-“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”).
• We are to baptize in his name (Matthew 28:19).
• We are justified in his name (1 Corinthians 6:11).
• Everything we do and say is done in his name (Colossians 3:17-“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”).

Wow, what a name. Don’t disgrace His name by not being committed to it. Don’t take His name in vain. To do so is to misappropriate the power behind it.

8. Commitment to praising God.

Psalm 86:12a: “I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart…”

Psalm 89:1a: “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever…”

Psalm 104:33: “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Psalm 108:1: “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”

Psalm 118:28: “You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.”

Begin and end each day in worship of our God. It will set up your heart, mind, and soul to be reflective and God-honoring throughout each encounter. Plus, it is joyful to praise our God!

9. Commitment to sharing God’s blessing.

Psalm 89:1b: “With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.”

Psalm 108:3: “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.”

You have been blessed to be a blessing. Everything you have belongs to God, it is your responsibility to steward it faithfully, for His glory. We have a responsibility to shepherd our kids’ hearts toward God. We do this by sharing our story and how much God has done for us.

As Christians, we have been given the best news ever, it is selfish not to share it!

These are commitments that David made to God, we would be blessed to do the same.

Will you join me in this? Not just trying, but actually making these commitments…

If so, read these out loud:

I commit my walk to God.

I commit my speech to God.

I commit to obey God’s Word.

I commit to God’s wisdom in my conduct.

I commit my walk at home to God.

I commit to my past promises.

I commit to God’s name.

I commit to praising God.

I commit to sharing God’s blessing.

 

 

 

This blog contains material from Motivating with Scripture by John Regier.  Used with permission.

Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

Originally preached on Sunday night at Faith Bible Church, 1/29/2017.