The Devotional - 1525 - God Protects His Children

The Devotional – 1525 – God Protects His Children

Psalm 26:1-12 A Psalm of David. Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence; so I will go about Your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works. Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands is a sinister scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. My foot stands in an even place; in the congregations I will bless the Lord.

Comments and Challenges – A Psalm of David (DIVINE SCRUTINY and PROTECTION)

You and I have heard it before; “When we come seeking Jesus by faith through grace” we did not come based on some credit or work of our own. Thus trusting the gospel message of salvation is a gift, not a system of self-work or self-worth. This then is “good news salvation is not a credit plan”. We do not earn credits as one might in a college, a university or by any other human effort. This trust then in the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ is a total expression of faith in the grace of God; Ephesians 2:1-10

Once we accept God’s gift of Grace, it will take much communication with God in the days and years to ahead to develop a mature understanding with His, so great salvation. Getting to know God is to develop a trusting personal friendship and being able to trust the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in our soul. This thought is often mysterious and I believe in many people very confusing. How do we describe a new companion who never leaves us? Well, this is how I have come to understand the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit.

We have a mind that controls our daily actions; we think and we react to the guidance of our mind. Sometimes the mind will direct our thoughts to do well and sometimes it will direct us to do evil. Living in this natural human mind we can be confident, comfortable and controlled by our mind and do good, also we can be uncomfortable, uncontrolled and have no confidence and do what is evil. When we become children of God, He provides us with Himself as a guide; His Spirit in us will guide us into the Truth of God’s Word (confidence in His Laws, Precepts, Promises, Statutes and Judgments); comfort us in all trials (circumstances of life); discipline us in all sinful failures (also, circumstances of life).

Now I said all of the above because I see “all of this in Psalm 26:1”! Notice: This Psalm of David who at the time is King of Israel. At this moment in time he is seeking the LORD’s watchful eye over his action in life. Now while it is sometimes necessary to know the historical setting and nail down the reasoning in David’s request. But godliness is great gain and this is the important message of the Psalm. He is in communication with God the Holy Spirit and he is seeking to understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct his actions.

Note that King David says “LORD search me; I have walked in my integrity”. Have you ever walked in your integrity and wondered if what you were doing was of the sinful flesh or of the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God? Of course; for me this is a daily task and surely you are no different. We then find ourselves in a mindful prayer such as the one here. “LORD, I have walked in my own mind, yet too; I have also TRUSTED in You”, therefore I shall not slip or lose hope, in any case, examine me O LORD and “Test my actions”, take close look at my mind and soul. 

In doing so LORD I seek for Your lovingkindness (grace) and know that Your direction leads me in paths of innocence and thanksgiving; righteousness and hope. Your works provide me with testimonies of thanksgiving therefore I love to walk in Your Truth. 

Also, such hope and confidence in God is an overwhelming need in the lives of the people around me and without Your guidance I am helpless to do this. These days there are many churches that are filled with “idolatrous mortal” and “masked hypocrites”. These unsaved people do not only fill the seats, they also fill the pulpit. These are bloodthirsty men and women who schemes are sinister whose minds are filled with coveting bribes.

If your church is lukewarm, if Jesus is standing outside the door wanting to come in; if the church has lost its First love or is compromising with the world, if it is corrupt with false teaching or is doing any other thing contrary to SOUND DOCTRINE then it is not a place where glory and honor dwells within. But, be like David in that; “but as for me; I will walk in my integrity and in the power of Your Holy Spirit redeeming the time with Your WORD, relying on Your Mercy. My foot stands in an even place and in the congregation I will bless You LORD.

Now there is a lot of New Testament scripture to back up the words of the this devotional; therefore be a good student of the Living Word of God and search out the matter since I have little time this morning to do that.