I will praise you with an upright heart when i learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statuetes, do ot utterly forsake me
The psalmist prayer turns to praise as he learns. This is the fruit of lips that have learned something amazing. He finds God's words sweet, and a delight. What moves the heart wags the tongue and our delights are often betrayed by our mouths. You can tell a lot about a man by what he praises. By the things he exults. If the object of his praise is himself, his heart is vain and his idolatry is his own righteousness. If his praise is for his football team, his vainglory is by association.
Not that praise of good things is in its self evil, but if it is the dominant theme of our concern it pushes all others out.
David praises with an 'upright heart'. A heart that is set on the things above, where Christ is seated in the heavenly realms. There is no room in this heart for other loves. For he has built a beautiful refuge, an upright testimony, a clean and undivided heart that is able to exalt God. And isn't this the task of heaven, where we are free of the power, penalty and presence of sin, to delight, unashamed, fully unveiled, cleansed made whole, by the living God in his terrifying presence without shame or fear.
He has learned your righteous rules. By them is your servant warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
And so we come to his first request in prayer. "Do not forsake me utterly".
The beloved blessed and happy is not forsaken, though he may feel it and though he may be crying for deliverance.
His heart felt promise is to keep those statutes and to endure and as feeble is our keeping of it, HE is not feeble in holding on to us, is it a plea for mercy, is it a lonely cry?
It seems that despite the immanence of God in hearing and giving these life empowering words, that he still doubts that in the face of these satutes he still must abandon all self righteousness and cling to God for blessing. For only the safe keeping of God is safe. I would not pledge my heart to my own power of any kind for salvation.
"Pass me not O gentle saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
Whilst on others you are calling,
do not pass me by.
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