David Confesses and Repents

IN THIS PSALM, DAVID makes public confession of his sin and asks for God’s mercy and forgiveness. In our Key Verse the heart is used in a symbolic sense, the physical heart representing the seat of human affections—our desires, motives, and ambitions. As these are also often based in conjunction with our thoughts, the heart, in a broader sense, may be said to likewise symbolize our thoughts and mental reasoning.

The heart must be guarded and trained in order to operate properly and in harmony with God’s will. Thus our Heavenly Father sets various guards to train and help us keep our hearts pure. We should use these in accordance with his will and boundless wisdom. The guards which God provides are his admonitions, chastening, and the influence of his Holy Spirit. These are given to his children for their correction, training, and protection. The psalmist expresses this thought, saying, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing.”—Ps. 141:3,4

In the first Psalm we are told that the one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord,” and who meditates in it day and night, “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:2,3) A literal tree planted by “rivers of waters” will not lack the necessary moisture in the heat of the summer in order to develop its fruit in due time. Those who meditate in the Law of God will always be informed of the will of Jehovah. Even under difficulties they will not find it hard to discern what to do, as would be the case if they did not study God’s Word.

The purpose of guarding the heart is to keep it pure, because, according to the declaration of Jesus, the pure in heart “shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8) Today we are living in a world that is at enmity with God. Its works are the works of darkness. Daily we encounter people whose minds, words, and actions have the tendency of influencing us to do, think, and speak as they do—in ways unbecoming of a true Christian. It is necessary, therefore, that we are well established with the mind of Christ that we may do only the will of God.—I Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5

We should allow only those thoughts that are in harmony with the Lord, and with the instructions we have received of him, to occupy our minds and attention. Indeed, we should treasure up in our minds those thoughts that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy, from the standpoint of God. (Phil. 4:8) If we do this, we store up a good spiritual treasure which will manifest itself in our words and actions.

God’s thoughts are pure, his ways righteous, and his works holy. (Ps. 119:140; 145:17) As we observe our Father’s dealings with mankind—his servants, his friends, his enemies, transgressors, and those obedient to him—we learn his character. In this we see him glorious in every respect, and we should endeavor to imitate his ways. Thus we will be “changed into the same image from glory to glory,” by the influence of his Holy Spirit.—II Cor. 3:18