Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness

Of David.

Psalm 26

Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness

Of David.

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.a

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.

Perhaps there is nothing worse than doing all the right things for the right reasons and having things fall apart anyway. When it happens, all I want to do is throw my hands in the air and look toward heaven. In a way, that is what David is doing, but through a psalm.

He is praying for vindication. He reminds God of how faithful he has been. His heart follows the way of God. All through this psalm David recounts how he seeks God and follows him. David lived his life to honor God.

The life of David is instructive. He was called a man after God’s own heart. David’s trust was completely in God so he was praying that God would step into his situation and vindicate him.

As I reflect on this psalm, I realize that my life isn’t always as God honoring as David’s was. I don’t always walk in integrity. Sometimes my trust in God wavers. There are times when I do sit with the worthless and I might not sing aloud a song of thanksgiving or tell of God’s wonderful deeds. I know that fall far short of David’s description. Yet, God continues to love me and he has vindicated me with his love.