Psalm 18:20  
He has rewarded me    
In Psalm 17:3-5 we see that David feels vindicated by his righteousness; in comparison with his enemies he has planned no evil. He has not spoken against the Lord. He has not accepted bribes or been a violent man. He has sought to follow God’s ways and to be obedient to God’s laws. In Old Testament terms David was a righteous man. Samuel, Hezekiah and Job all argued in a similar vein, not out of arrogance or the need to assert themselves but because they genuinely devoted themselves to God. So now David feels vindicated, he can claim that “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness.” This attitude of heart is in stark contrast to his pleas for forgiveness in Psalm 51. There we find a righteous man who is terribly upset and repents when he falls short and behaves as the wicked do. 
This sense of self-justification causes David to reflect that the Lord rewards those who have clean hands, that he has earned “the spacious place,” that he deserves to be recompensed for his righteousness. Such thoughts do not sit comfortably with those of us who see ourselves as vile offenders, undeserving of God’s grace and favour, those who have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. David did not have the sacrifice of Christ for sin to turn to, He did not have the means to forgiveness by faith, he lived under a regime where righteousness was earned by good works and religious observance. In a way that makes his claim even more remarkable, in a time when every act was scrutinised and the Law was so demanding, he can claim that God has rewarded him according to his righteousness. Thank God that He rewards us according to our faith! If He did not, I’m afraid I would fall far short and frankly, so would you.

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