READING: Psalms 22-26
Imagine these two scenes. In the first one, a believer struggling with sin (and losing the battle far too often) knows he must stand before God and answer for the way he has lived. No one else in the church knows about his ongoing failures, but God does. The believer grows anxious and worried about facing God in judgment.
In the second scenario, a faithful believer who walks continually in victory is not alarmed by the prospects of answering to the Lord. In fact, he welcomes that possibility because he just wants to be more and more holy. Which of these believers most reflects your life?
David the psalmist in psalm 26 leans much more toward the second believer. He knows he can walk faithfully only because he trusts in God and relies on His unfailing love, but he nonetheless welcomes God’s critique: “Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart” (Psa 26:2). The psalmist piles up phrases—put me on trial, cross-examine me, and test me—that essentially ask God to test his faithfulness and his motives. The psalmist is not alarmed by the test, for he knows he has acted with integrity and lived according to God’s truth. When that’s the way you live, answering to God becomes less frightening.
May the Lord help us to welcome His daily critique—and may that critique show us as men and women who genuinely follow God. Amen.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Which fictitious believer described above better characterizes your life right now?
TODAY’S PRAYER: “Father, grant me daily grace to follow You faithfully.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalms 27-32