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Vindicate 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. For Your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in Your faithfulness. (Psalm 26:1-3)
We can easily imagine our Lord Jesus speaking the words of this psalm. He could certainly say, “I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.” Jesus trusted in His Heavenly Father without wavering, without turning from the path set before Him. Perhaps Jesus’ heart and mind were tested as the hour of His death drew near, but Jesus said, “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour” (John 12:27). Perhaps His heart and mind were tested in Gethsemane as He prayed that the Father’s will would be done. Yet in humble trust, Jesus submitted to His Father’s will, obedient to the point of death on the cross (see Philippians 2:8).
It may be a little more difficult to think of Jesus’ great ancestor King David praying the words of his own Spirit-inspired psalm. We know all about David’s sins, so carefully recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture for everyone to see and hear. King David was certainly guilty of sin yet he claims to be walking in integrity and trusting God without wavering. If we are honest, we may have trouble praying these words. Like David, we sin daily. We do not always walk through life with integrity. Even though we would like to claim unwavering trust in the Lord, our faith is not always so steadfast as we want it to be. We do not walk in faithful obedience to God’s will as Jesus did. Do we really want God to test our hearts and minds?
Jesus walked in steadfast love and faithfulness to the cross. He took onto Himself our lack of integrity and our sins of heart and mind, of body and soul, and He died for those sins. On the third day after Jesus’ death, God vindicated His holy, faithful Son. Jesus our Lord was raised from death, never to die again. He was tested through life and death and proven true. The psalmist was vindicated, but it was not David’s faithfulness that won forgiveness for him. It is not our own integrity that earns forgiveness for our sins. It is the Lord who is faithful, and in unfailing, steadfast love He forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake. By God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, we are vindicated, that is, we are declared not guilty. We can join the psalmist to offer grateful praise for the Lord’s steadfast love: “I walk in Your faithfulness.”
WE PRAY: Faithful Lord, forgive my sins and lead me each day to walk in Your ways. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What areas of personal integrity would you like to improve in your life?
- How do you think David “trusted in the Lord without wavering”? How could he honestly say he did that?
- How does God make us righteous so we can stand before Him free of sin and guilt?
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