“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you” (v4). The psalmist was convinced that God was not just a divine force of power; instead, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had revealed Himself as holy. He hates lies and violence (v6); He is against those who harm others by manipulation and threats (v9-10). The psalmist asked this God of “steadfast love” to lead him not in the ways of wicked men, but in the way of righteousness (v7-8).

“I will bow down toward your holy temple ... make your way straight before me” (v8). In a world that normalizes deceit, violence, and immorality, our heart’s longing is to walk in the straight paths of our Lord.