I have kept thy precepts
David had kept God's precepts and testimonies (his word) as best he could, for we all know that he failed to do it perfectly. It was never said about David, as it was about Jesus, "who knew no sin." David knew his own shortcomings and testified of them, but his whole-life purpose and reason in the main was to please God and to keep his commandments. It is also our purpose in life to keep God's commandments; and, even though we cannot completely keep this desire, we should, however, long to and work to keep all the commandments of God.
First, we must know the commandments, and David had no problem with that; he knew God's commandments. Many today do not keep God's commandments, because they do not know them and are not interested in learning them. Therefore, many cannot say "I have kept thy precepts." We have all fallen so short of God's glory in this that we do not deserve even a small portion of his grace, but God is merciful, who brings grace to our hearts and cleanses us from all our sins (1 John 1:7).
... for all my ways are before thee.
There is a positive and negative aspect to this clause. Positively, God knows our ways and can and does lead us in them: Psalm 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. We do not know, on our own, how to walk, how to think, and what to do in God's Kingdom; He must provide the knowledge and wisdom needed to serve Him properly.
Negatively, God knows our ways in the sense of our error. He knows our sins. He watches us at all times and knows our very thoughts, our intentions (Heb. 4:12). We must, then, walk circumspectly and righteously as He teaches us through His Holy Spirit and remember Phil. 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
David had kept God's precepts and testimonies (his word) as best he could, for we all know that he failed to do it perfectly. It was never said about David, as it was about Jesus, "who knew no sin." David knew his own shortcomings and testified of them, but his whole-life purpose and reason in the main was to please God and to keep his commandments. It is also our purpose in life to keep God's commandments; and, even though we cannot completely keep this desire, we should, however, long to and work to keep all the commandments of God.
First, we must know the commandments, and David had no problem with that; he knew God's commandments. Many today do not keep God's commandments, because they do not know them and are not interested in learning them. Therefore, many cannot say "I have kept thy precepts." We have all fallen so short of God's glory in this that we do not deserve even a small portion of his grace, but God is merciful, who brings grace to our hearts and cleanses us from all our sins (1 John 1:7).
... for all my ways are before thee.
There is a positive and negative aspect to this clause. Positively, God knows our ways and can and does lead us in them: Psalm 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. We do not know, on our own, how to walk, how to think, and what to do in God's Kingdom; He must provide the knowledge and wisdom needed to serve Him properly.
Negatively, God knows our ways in the sense of our error. He knows our sins. He watches us at all times and knows our very thoughts, our intentions (Heb. 4:12). We must, then, walk circumspectly and righteously as He teaches us through His Holy Spirit and remember Phil. 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
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