April 6, 2024

Passage Read: Psalm 23-26
Meditation Verse: 26:1

Thought

What a thing to say! What confidence in his faithfulness to the Lord, his integrity in trusting in the Lord and living like it's so! That he would have the courage to ask God to deliver him because he has walked in the Lord's truth. We ask for deliverance because the Lord is merciful; David knew that, but David knew that God's mercy wasn't for those who simply called on God's name but cared little how they lived; he knew God's mercy was for those who made the effort, with determination, to walk in obedience to the Lord, who trusted in the Lord and in His commands as good for his life so he obeyed. These are the people God delights to save, not those who live for their own desires and pleasures and only pay lip service to the Lord or go through the motions of worship without the life to prove his worship.

Application

Integrity requires walking in the ways of the Lord because I claim to believe in Him. The opposite of integrity would be hypocrisy, claiming to believe in God but living without fear of Him. Hypocrites can expect nothing good from the Lord, but those who claim to believe in Him and order their lives to conform to His ways and His likeness, these are the people God delights in to save. Integrity doesn't mean God will keep me from all harm, but that He will eventually deliver me from all my troubles. He will send trials and tests to reveal the truth about what I believe and how it compares to how I live.