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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise David said, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever” (Ps 29:2, 4, 10). I worship you today, O Lord, and I offer to you sacrifices of praise with shouts of joy (Ps 27:6). You are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in you (Ps 28:7). Praise the Lord! Today in Your Word Today you shared with me more of David’s psalms. Psalm 26 shows me the peace and confidence that comes from a clear conscience. David said, “Vindicate [judge] 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” (Ps 26:1–2). This teaches me that it’s possible for my life to pass the scrutiny of your searching eye! How can this be done? By keeping your lovingkindness before my eyes (Ps 26:3a), by walking in the truth (Ps 26:3b), by rejecting the company of evil men (Ps 26:4–5), by washing myself in your cleansing blood (Ps 26:6), and by loving you with all my heart (Ps 26:8). David is a testament to the fact that I can live a life of innocence and integrity, and that I too can stand “on level ground” (Ps 26:12). Psalm 27 recounts one of the many times David was being hunted by his enemies. His “safe place” was your tabernacle, and his supreme desire was to “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Ps 27:4 NIV). What a beautiful expression of a magnificent obsession: “Your face, Lord, do I seek!” (Ps 27:8). Reflection Almost half the Psalms (72 of them) talk about enemies. This serves to remind me that I’m in a spiritual war with the forces of evil. My greatest enemy is Satan, and he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). I do well to take refuge in you! Request Father, hear me when I cry to you for help. Repay the wicked for their evil deeds and bring on them what they deserve. Save me and bless me. Be my shepherd and carry me in your arms forever (Ps 28:4, 9). Thanksgiving How grateful I am to know: “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5 NIV). Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Crown After Cross” — Joseph H. Gilmore. Meditation Verse: Psalm 25:4–5. |