Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 26-28
Devotional Thought:
It has been said that a man’s reputation is based on what people think him to be, but a man’s integrity is based on what God’s knows him to be. At Faith Christian School, one of the core values is integrity. As a school, we want to model integrity, teach integrity, and demand integrity from staff and students alike. Here in Psalm 26 David is asking God to evaluate his integrity. Have you asked God to do that in your life? In verses 4 and 5 David describes those who are slandering him. “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.” David declares his innocence to the Lord, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes; and I have walked in thy truth.” (vs. 2-3) David demonstrates the proper course of action when people are slandering you. Run to the Lord and plead your case to Him. He cares about you and He does want to hear about it. However, David does not just run to God, but he desires for the Lord to evaluate if he is seeing things properly or if there is some blind spot in his character that he is missing. When we run to the Lord, we must desire for Him to reveal truth so we can act upon it. David was confident that he had not done anything wrong, but wanted to have God confirm it. It was knowing that God saw and confirmed his integrity that would give him confidence to stand and never slip. (vs. 1) David wanted to model integrity and confidence in God, even in the midst of vicious attacks upon his character. David never complained about his enemies, but rather desired to show thanksgiving in his heart and praise to God from his lips. “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.” (vs. 7) David was not going to get sidetracked with “bloody men in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.” (vs. 9-10) David wanted people to see the power, position, and plan of God rather than have their focus on wicked people. He desired to exalt the joy and peace that comes from a right standing with God, and to trust the results to the Lord. “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregation will I bless the Lord.” If we know what God knows to be true about us, it will never be an issue to us what man thinks about us. When we stand before the Lord in judgment some day, it will only matter, on that day, what God’s opinion was of our integrity.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please judge me, examine me, prove me, and try my heart. Please help me to see anything that you disapprove of or would cause shame to your holy name. I desire to walk in confidence before you, knowing that I am in perfect fellowship with you.
• Lord, thank you for your honest evaluations. Thank you that the word of God is an honest mirror for me to look into and see what is true in my life. Thank you for loving me enough to allow me to have your word to read, memorize, and meditate upon.
• Lord, please help me to not get discouraged or derailed by what others may think, but may I find great confidence in knowing what you think of me.