Read Psalm 26:1-5. 1Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. 3For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. 4I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. 5I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.
David truly desired to live a life of complete openness before God. If these verses sound arrogant or self-righteous, we misread them. David is simply saying what every Christian should be able to say, that the steadfast love and faithfulness of God in Christ has empowered us to walk in integrity and trust, and to avoid aligning our beliefs and our lifestyle with those who despise the Lord Jesus.
The opening words of Psalm 26 show us how we can live in the freedom of Christ. Vindicate me. Yahweh be my judge! David doesn’t fear the judgment of God, and neither should any follower of Christ. In Christ we have been vindicated by our union with the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Christ we no longer need to be defended by our inner lawyer, rather we can ask God to test our heart and our mind without fear of condemnation. In Christ we never have to compromise with the enemies of God, and we never have to ask our friends to defend us. Only God’s opinion of us matters.
To live is Christ is to live free of condemnation, resting in the vindication of God himself. In Christ we have been judged and found perfect in his eyes.
Prayer. Jesus, you defend me. You are my advocate. Not my own self-defense, not my friends, and definitely not my enemies. Test my heart and my mind today, and may I walk in your faithfulness. Amen.
***
Check out Proverbs on the TLICFamily blog! –> Click Here
To Live is Christ 