His provision handles our enemies

Of David.
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”

4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

7 For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
exulting in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say,
“O Lord, who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I bowed down in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast,
they gnash at me with their teeth.

17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions!
18 I will thank you in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.

19 Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, “Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”

22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts,
“Aha, our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who magnify themselves against me!

27 Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.

-Psalm 35

I love the faithfulness of God when it comes to His provision over His redeemed.  In the 28 verses of this powerful Psalm, we can learn that in His care, we can seek Him during times of persecution and harm from our enemies.  I’m sure if we were to examine our lives, we can see that there are some people that just don’t like us.  I’ve been at Summit now for close to 4 years.  In that short time, I’ve observed some that just don’t like me.  It happens.  Ministry and faithfulness to the Lord doesn’t always bring fantasy happiness.  Often times, when we are faithful to His Word and enjoying His presence, there will be some that oppose.  I invite you to take time to read what Jesus spoke of this matter in the greatest sermon ever preached (Matthew 5-7).

 So..what can we gather from this rich text today?  I believe what we can gather is the privilege of faithful prayers.  When we know of others in our lives that oppose us, dislike us, and make efforts to discredit us, our response should be immersed in prayer.  Our flesh can be an ugly monster.  Our natural tendancy (given to us from earthly parents…Romans 5:12), is to lash out and protect our claimed territory.  However, I see in this text the importance to surrender our rights of defense to the Holy One that can mightily defend.  The Psalmist begins in the first verse with a cry for the Lord to fight the battle…not the writer.  What joy and assurance to know that we don’t have to put the weight of opposition on our shoulders!  We can trust in His provision and care in leading us to be wise in any given situation.  Anyone opposing you or attacking you today?  Have you given the right to respond over to the Lord? 

The last part of this rich Psalm is how I want to close this morning.  “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, GREAT is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of His servant! Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:27-28).  What glory and riches!  It ties in so well with what our Savior told us in Matthew 5:16…about letting our light shine for the glory of the Father.  I believe in our passion to find satisfaction in God above all the evil pleasures of this world, the result can naturally be a righteousness in us that leads to praises all day long for His great name.  I’d marry Matthew 5 with James 3.  Take time to see how even the words of your mouth can be a testimony today to the expanding of corporate worship here in this world.  May all that comes out of our mouths today not be in defense to accusations or attack, but may they tell of the righteousness of our great Lord.

-From one who trusts his enemies in the hands of the One that is mighty to save.

a Provider and Deliverer

The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer.

A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

¹ I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
³ O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
⁴ I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
⁸ O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹ O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Ps. 34 - NASB

A HYMN

34:1-3 A Vow to bless the Lord

David makes a vow to bless the Lord. From personal experience which was difficult at times (to say the least), David knew that God was capable of great and miraculous things.  However, David’s praise what not because of what the Lord had done, but simply of who God is.  David was aware of the nature of God, through experience and the result was humility (a natural response when one understand who God is. See Isa. 6:1-8) 

34:4-7 A Personal Experience Shared

David shares his personal experience of the Lord.  His language is firm and confident.  He believes that the Lord is the same for all who call upon the name of the Lord.  He will save them.  He will deliver them. He will send His angels to camp around them.  God will deliver, for you and I as for David. 

34:8-10 An Exhortation to the Righteous

Those who are His are taken care of in every manner.  This righteousness and obedience is not the means to salvation and provision, but the result of and promise to those who rely solely upon His grace. Refuge comes not because we seek it, but because he has offered it to us.  We gives not what we deserve, but that which we cannot do for ourselves. 

A SERMON

34:11-14 A Direct Exhortation

David here exhorts people to come.  Not because they have lived righteously, or fear the Lord, or hold their tongue, but they come because he will cause them to live righteously, and fear the Lord and have self-control.  Until they come, they cannot even pursue peace, much less overtake or capture it.  The life apart from God is one of hopelessness, and ignorance, knowing no peace; however, the life with Him is full and joyful. 

34:15-22 A Didactic Teaching

There will be two groups in the end.  Those who love God and as a result obey Him (see 1 John), and those who are unrighteous, having rejected the free pardon from death and sin.  David reminds the hearer that one day God will judge.  The end will be joyful for those who know him and will literally be Hell for those who do not.

let us just read

 ”1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
 2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings!
 3 Sing to Him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

 4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all His work is done in faithfulness.
 5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of His mouth all their host.
 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
He puts the deeps in storehouses.

 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
 9 For He spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He sees all the children of man;
14 from a where He sits enthroned He looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
on those who hope in His steadfast love,
19 that He may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in Him,
because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in You.” - Psalm 33

be glad in the Lord and rejoice!

“A Maskil of David.
32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

 5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to You at a time when You may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach Him.
 7 You are a hiding place for me;
You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” - Psalm 32

This short Psalm carries a powerful message. Luther considered it a Pauline Psalm because it “teaches that the forgiveness of our sins comes, without the law and without works, to the man who believes”. I find this to be an interesting take on this particular Psalm. The first two verses talk about being “blessed” and thus evoke thoughts of both Psalm 1 and the Beatitudes. Spurgeon wrote of this Psalm: “Blessedness is not in this case ascribed to the man who has been a diligent lawkeeper, for then it would never come to us, but rather to a lawbreaker, who by grace most rich and free has been forgiven.”

I find myself thinking of the prodigal son when reading this Psalm. Day and night when he was in the far off land the hand of the Lord was heavy upon him and his strength was dried up by the weight of it. However, when he returned to his father and confessed his sins, they were forgiven and he was blessed. Note that the confession draws the psalmist closer to God and leads the psalmist to have compassion for others. The Lord then instructs the penitent one and reaffirms our reasons to trust in Him.

“Lord, we thank you for allowing us to become righteous in your sight. We thank you for instructing us in the way that we should go. We pray that we are not stubborn in learning what it is that you have to teach us and that you give us the courage to seek You even in our times of struggle. Then we also can be counted as blessed.”

- BDS

the abundance of the Lord’s goodness

“To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
 1 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in Your righteousness deliver me!
 2 Incline Your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!

 3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
and for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me;
 4 You take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for You are my refuge.
 5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

 6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
 7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love,
because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the distress of my soul,
 8 and You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a broad place.

 9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
15 My times are in Your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make Your face shine on Your servant;
save me in Your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon You;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.

19 Oh, how abundant is Your goodness,
which You have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in You,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In the cover of Your presence You hide them
from the plots of men;
You store them in Your shelter
from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
for He has wondrously shown His steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
‘I am ecut off from Your sight.’
But You heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to You for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you His saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!” - Psalm 31

Psalm 31 is a psalm with a lot of depth to it. It is another psalm of lament with powerful words of trust in the Lords provision.  The psalmist is calling out to God again to be the rock and fortress in his life.  I hope you have been amazed as I have on the constant cry of dependence that the psalmist has.  It times of distress the psalmist cries for deliverance, as he is doing here, and in times of victory the psalmist lifts up his voice in adoration to the one who has delivered.  This should be able to be said of each of us.  That in times of trouble we seek refuge in the Lord and in times of strength we praise Him for His grace.  My hope is that we will know that He is our Lord, our rock, and our deliverer.  Take time to meditate on the distress of this psalm (v. 9-13) but focus as well on the confidence the psalmist has to be delivered, “I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love” (v. 7). But also notice what the psalmist knows about the Lord

“my times are in Your hand”

The days of our lives are in the hand of God.  The afflictions, suffering, and trials are all in the hand of the Almighty.  Nothing sways His hand and His care for us is immeasurable.  It may not always appear in the ways we desire but the Lord is always involved (Phil. 1:6 and 2:13). And if He is for us who can stand against us (Romans 8:31). Take comfort in the same way the psalmist does in the fact that our times are in His hand.

“how abundant is Your goodness…”

The psalmist asks for the Lord’s face to shine on him (v. 16). This is because he knows the abundance of the goodness of God.  He knows the favor of the Lord is what is truly great and desirable.  He knows that the Lord’s favor is abundantly good and it shines on those who fear Him.  This is why the psalmist confidence is in the deliverance of the Lord.  This is why praise is continually on his lips.  He knows the goodness of the Lord towards those He calls His children. 

“Heavenly Father, thank You for You care and deliverance.  Help us to know Your goodness in the way the psalmist knows.  Make Your face shine upon Your servants.  Amen.”

-  one who has seen the abundance of the goodness of the Lord

let us just read

“A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
 1 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
 2 O Lord my God, I cried to You for help,
and You have healed me.
 3 O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints,
and give thanks to His holy name.
 5 For His anger is but for a moment,
and His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
 7 By Your favor, O Lord,
You made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face;
I was dismayed.

 8 To You, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
 9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it tell of Your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!” - Psalm 30

a depiction of the glory of the Lord

“A Psalm of David.
 1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
 6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

 7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to His people!
May the Lord bless His people with peace!” - Psalm 29

This psalm is a little different than the ones we have been reading as of late.  It is a psalm where David calls the nation of Israel to “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name.” Then he begins to expound on the particular power in the voice of the Lord.  Take some time to slowly read this psalm and meditate on the power of just the voice of the Lord.  Here are a few notes to help the imagery.

Lebanon, Sirion and Kadesh are large plush mountain ranges filled with tall sturdy cedars and wild animals.  The voice of the Lord breaks these cedars and makes the mountains seem like little frilly calves. The voice of the Lord makes these magnificent, large mountain ranges appear meaningless and small.  It strips them bare.  What powerful imagery!

Then take some time to dwell on the fact that as children of God we are His people.  Everything proclaims the Glory of the Lord (9) and the Lord sits on His throne governing every aspect of creation.  This is our God! He is not a God who is weak! He is a King who is sovereign and involved in everything.  Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

- one who is blow away by our mighty God

a reoccuring theme

“Of David.
 1 To You, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if You be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
 2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to You for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your most holy sanctuary.

 3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
 4 Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of His hands,
He will tear them down and build them up no more.

 6 Blessed be the Lord!
For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to Him.

 8 The Lord is the strength of His people;
He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
 9 Oh, save Your people and bless Your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.” - Psalm 28

When one studies through the psalms, in the way that we have done through this blog, it can seem like the psalms all say the same thing.  There is a reoccuring theme that flows throughout the psalms of crying out to God for His saving grace and praising Him when He answers.  There is a consistent contrast of the way God cares for His people and the judgment that will come to the wicked.  This psalm is no different, and the challenge I have found in reading these psalms over and over is to pray, sing, and live the way the psalmist does. 

to pray for His grace

The Lord honors a heart that is dependant on Him for everything in this life.  When we pray we reveal where our dependance lies.  If our prayer life is weak or non-existent, then we are probably not dependant on the Lord.  This is to our shame as a people who are called the children of God.  As a child is dependant on his/her father for protection, provision, and care; so should we be dependant on our heavenly Father who gives to us as we have need (James 1:5; Matthew 6:25-34). This past weekend we celebrated our independance as a nation. I couldn’t help but wonder how our churches would flourish if we were more like those in countries who don’t have similar freedoms.  We have lost our dependance on the King of kings and Lord of lords and we must get it back.

to sing of His salvation

The effect of our lack of dependance often shows itself in our lack of praise.  Because we don’t see our utter dependance on God in the same way the psalmist does, our praises are weak, because we lose sight of how He is the one who has given us everything. When our prayers are strong our praises will be strong because we will begin to see that things have been accomplished only by the work of the Lord and not by our feeble efforts. Praise God that He is intricately involved in our lives (I refer you again to Matthew 6:25-34)!

to live in light of His glory

And when our prayers and our praises begin to come together in this way our lives will begin to be lived in light of God’s glory and not our own.  These are disciplines that we can learn from the psalms and be encouraged by men of faith before us to pursue with all our heart (Psalm 27:4).

- one who desires to imitate the psalmist

let us just read

“Of David.
 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

 2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

 3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in His temple.

 5 For He will hide me in His shelter
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me under the cover of His tent;
He will lift me high upon a rock.

 6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in His tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
 8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to You,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
 9 Hide not Your face from me.
Turn not Your servant away in anger,
You who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!” - Psalm 27

why we walk in integrity

“Of David.
 1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
 2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
 3 For Your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in Your faithfulness.

 4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.

 6 I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
 7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all Your wondrous deeds.

 8 O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house
and the place where Your glory dwells.
 9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.” - Psalm 26

A short devotional for you today.  Notice the boldness of David as he writes this psalm. He asks for the Lord to vindicate him and to try him.  He seeks to walk in integrity and not go anywhere near evil.  It sounds very familiar to the definitely of the blessed man that psalm 1 speaks of.  But in verses 8-9 we find the heart of this plea.  David writes “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells,” and then cries out not to be taken away with the sinners. What powerful words these are! Do we plead with the Lord for His presence because we love it? Do we long to walk in integrity because we long for the place where the glory of the Lord dwells?

“O Lord, teach us to live and pray like this! Show us Your glory so that we long for every opportunity we have to dwell in Your house. Amen”

- One who longs to pray like David

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