#DailyDevotion Having A Faithful Attitude
Psalm 26 6I wash my hands in innocence and march around Your altar, O LORD, 7to praise You with a loud voice and tell all the wonderful things You’ve done.
David makes his appeal to the LORD and proclaims his innocence in the matter he brings before the LORD. In an act similar to the priests before they make the sacrifices, David washes his hands. It seems to be a custom even during the time of Christ as Pilate washes his hands of the Jews crucifixion of Jesus. David marches around the altar of the LORD praising the LORD with a loud voice all the wonderful things the LORD has done. It seems this ought to be something of a common practice with us if we have enemies without cause. It may even be a good thing to practice on any giving day. I’m speaking of praising the LORD Jesus Christ and telling of all the wonderful things He has done. The world may call it positive thinking but I call it here faithful thinking. As we recall all the good God has done for us in the past, it gives our hearts and minds good reason to think He will continue to do so in the future. And even if we don’t see the the wonderful things God is working in our present, horrible situation, if we join David in his horrible, present position, we can trust the LORD is work it out for our good.
8O LORD, I love the house You’ve made Your home, the place where Your glory dwells.
While the LORD certainly dwells in heaven above, in His temple there, He has placed His name, in David’s time, at the tabernacle and then at the temple. The LORD made it His home where His glory dwells and where the people knew they could meet the LORD. It was loved not because of its grandeur but because it is where the LORD promised to be with kindness, mercy, stead-fast love, and forgiveness. The LORD Jesus Christ now dwells in our hearts. He also promises to be with us, for us, with the same mercy, kindness, stead-fast love and forgiveness where two or three are gathered in His name. (Matt. 18) We gather around His word and His sacraments with His people. This could be anywhere. We should love the place though where we regularly gather in His name. There His name is and there His glory dwells. There we know we have fellowship with Him as we have fellowship with one another.
9Don’t take away my life with sinners and murderers, 10whose hands are busy with vice and whose right hands are full of bribes.
It is a common thought, due to our sinful flesh, that when we are in misery, God is counting us as one of the sinners and murderers. We think we must have done something particularly wrong for God to be treating us this way. David appeals to the LORD to not take him away with such people and have him end up in their destined place of torment. Yet we know, thanks particularly to the book of Job, that we often will suffer, not because of any particular sin we have committed but God is testing us, proving and purifying our faith for our good. Yet our present suffering we endure with faith in Christ Jesus is not for punishment but for purification, a fire purifies gold and silver and rids it of its dross.
11I am living innocently, free me and be kind to me. 12My foot stands on even ground. In the congregations I will praise the LORD.
Such is our claim with David as we put our trust in God to vindicate us when suffering at the hands of others whom we did no wrong. Such was the faith of Christ as He went to be crucified.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith to see and remember all the wonderful things You have done when we suffer so we may look to the good you have promised. In Jesus’ name. Amen.