Psalm 101:1-4  I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. 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. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

—

Stealing bases in baseball is largely a matter of intent. There is a long explanation to go along with this statement. Since you may not enjoy the intricacies of baseball at the same level as some of the rest of us, know this is a trustworthy statement you can verify with minimal research.

King David shows us here how living a blameless life is also largely a matter of intent. On this day at least, he made up his mind what kind of life he would live to honor God and benefit others. This is a good starting place. This is a good place to start every day. This is a good place to start over at any point in the day when you realize blamelessness just flew out the window.

Chuck Swindoll wrote a book years ago entitled, Hand Me Another Brick. He talked about cracks in the walls. Small cracks can grow into large cracks when they are not addressed in a timely manner. The best time to repair a problem is as soon as you notice the problem. 

A heart filled with praise is a heart not easily drawn to perverse entertainment or evil activity. 

We tend to see what we look for. King David tells us what to look for along with what to look away from. 

These are simple observations. These are powerful truths. These are faithful instructions. Knowing them leads to a simple question for you and for me: How now will I live?

The good life is a matter of intent. What are your intentions as you begin, or begin again, this day?

—

I will live with right and faithful intent.

—

Our Father, my intent is to honor you and to benefit others today. Give me the wisdom and strength for every decision small and large that will keep me focused on doing what is right and faithful. Amen.