The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 26:1-7,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds."
David's psalm is one where he cries out to the Lord to not take his soul away with the "sinners", verse 9. He claims he leads a blameless life and on the basis of it requests the Lord to be merciful to him, verse 11. Are we to conclude that David felt his life was without sin, a perfect man? Not at all. In another psalm he freely confesses he was a sinful man, sinful from his conception, Psalm 51:5.
What is David's claim? It is that his life demonstrates he is of another order than the wicked. We, as believers, stand in that same company. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
David's psalm is one where he cries out to the Lord to not take his soul away with the "sinners", verse 9. He claims he leads a blameless life and on the basis of it requests the Lord to be merciful to him, verse 11. Are we to conclude that David felt his life was without sin, a perfect man? Not at all. In another psalm he freely confesses he was a sinful man, sinful from his conception, Psalm 51:5.
What is David's claim? It is that his life demonstrates he is of another order than the wicked. We, as believers, stand in that same company. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
While it is evident that all mankind is sinful with deceitful hearts, something takes place within the life of a believer following his embrace of Jesus Christ in faith. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and begins to change us from within.
Although we are all painfully aware of the times we disappoint God and ourselves by occasionally falling into sin, we would be giving false testimony of God were we to not acknowledge the changes God has made within us. We are changed people and the wonderful changes God has made within us manifests that we are of another order from what we were before Jesus Christ sent his Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
As David, we can certainly point to these changes in our lives as demonstration we are headed to an eternity of glory, a different destination we were headed beforehand. All of this is from God who so loved us he made a way for us in a demonstration of grace and mercy I can scarce comprehend!
As David, we can certainly point to these changes in our lives as demonstration we are headed to an eternity of glory, a different destination we were headed beforehand. All of this is from God who so loved us he made a way for us in a demonstration of grace and mercy I can scarce comprehend!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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