We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. You are welcome to share this if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Psalm 26 (NRSV)
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
4 I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
5 I hate the company of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 those in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.
Devotional Thought:
The psalmist cries out for vindication, listing the many reasons why he deserves it. Likely many of us have done the same at some point in our lives. If so, we recognise that such vindication rarely comes when or how we want it. This is because of the kind of world in which we live. God created a relational system whereby we have the ability to make choices (Free Will). And these choices impact others both positively and negatively.
We read a psalm like this one and quickly relate it to our sense of justice, of right and wrong. We often see the world in black and white and believe such a plea should be answered by God (especially when the plea is coming from us). Nevertheless, things are rarely so black and white. This psalm is attributed to king David, and we know that he made many poor choices in his life. How many of these poor choices impacted others negatively? How many of these choices led to his current predicament? More importantly, how is God to respond in such a situation without taking another person’s free will from them?
As we can see this is more complex than we may have initially thought. Still, what I want to highlight in this psalm is that God loves us and eagerly listens to our pleas. We may not always get the answers we want, but we will hopefully sense God’s presence and the peace that comes with it. May you cry out to God this day in whatever circumstances you find yourself.
Prayer:
God of all mercy and love. We cry out to you this day. We recognise the injustices of this world and even of many of our own situations. Yet, we also recognise the roles that we have played in this injustice. Father forgive us! Lord hear our prayers and have mercy upon us. Help us to see the impact of our choices. Help us to make choices that glorify you and release compassion, justice, and love into this world. Lord give us strength this day to make it through any situation we may face. May we sense your presence and your peace this day. Amen.
Rev Dr Rob A. Fringer
NTC Principal