Redeem
Me, And Be Gracious To Me
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 mind. For your steadfast love
is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.
I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I
consort with hypocrites; I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with
the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence, and go around
your altar, O LORD, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your
wondrous deeds.
O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides. Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with the bloodthirsty, those in whose hands are
evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.
But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem
me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great
congregation I will bless the LORD.
Psalm 26:1-12
How often are your prayers more like calling
yourself on your own cell phone, without realizing it? Maybe you were praying
to yourself, instead of to God.
When you are falsely accused, we plead with God
for vindication. We want our name cleared and the guilty person held
accountable for the harm done to our reputation. But then we get impatient with
God and try to vindicate ourselves. We may be praying to ourselves and not to
God.
Vindication does not come from self-defense
arguments; it stems from integrity. It requires that I allow God to examine my
mind and heart and that I walk in His truth. This requires patient waiting.
When we call on God, He will help us – but in
His perfect time and in His perfect way.
The purpose of prayer
is not to get what we want, but to become what God wants.
Our Daily
Bread –