Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 26:1-7
Ps 26:1-7
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.
1 Cor 10:32-11:1
Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Every Christian should be able to echo the words of Paul when he says that others are to imitate him as he imitates Christ. I think that first and foremost, Paul is saying that he is doing his best to imitate Jesus in every part of his life. Especially in that he has given himself so that others could have eternal life. Secondly, he is giving a qualification because he realized that he was not perfect, as was Jesus. We are to do our best to be like Jesus, but we too will fail at times.
David and Paul lived with a clear conscience and with the assurance that God was with them every step of the way. God would deliver them from their enemies and from all that Satan would throw at them. They also lived with the assurance that when this life was over, they would go to live with the Lord forever. This was not because they were perfect but because they knew that God had forgiven their past and all the things they had done against him. So, they forgave themselves.
You and I can have this same assurance and confidence today, if we are seeking to serve him. Just as David lamented his sin and asked for forgiveness when it was brought to his attention, so we must do the same. One of the hard things for us to do is to admit it when we have sinned, and it is brought to our attention. It is hard to admit that we have done wrong because we must humble ourselves to do so. It can also be hard to accept God’s forgiveness when he gives it to us. Trust God!
O Lord God, holy and reverend is your matchless and majestic name! Instill in me a sense of awe when I hear your name or when it comes from my lips. Keep me from ever using your name in vain. But I need your help to also make sure that my life brings honor to your name and the name of Jesus, in what I say but also in my attitude and in what I do. I ask you to be with those who are struggling today, if from sickness, surgery, treatments, family problems, financial issues, or those who have lost someone they love dearly. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
