INTRODUCTION - Read Psalm 26.
Psalm 26 is another of David's meditative prayer's of reflection, where we find an older man looking back over how he has best tried to live his life committed to serving God, and in return we see how God has blessed him.
David's 5 life resolutions were summed up in this psalm as:
1. Walking in integrity and being honest with God.
2. Always remembering God's love and obeying His Word.
3. Refusing the temptation to get even when mistreated and maintaining a positive attitude.
4. Being faithful in public worship.
5. Standing patiently and waiting on the Lord.
Now we all know that David wasn't perfect. He made mistakes. But in studying the life of David over the last few years, I have had to confess that my struggles at times have been somewhat similar - times of failure, mistreatment and definitely having to wait patiently on the Lord. But like David, I too have attempted to keep these resolutions, for it is only in so doing that I have been able to look forward to the Lord's continued blessings.
1. WALKING IN INTEGRITY AND BEING HONEST WITH GOD.
Read Psalm 26:1-2; Deuteronomy 8.
"Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." Psalm 26:1 (NLT)
"Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey His commands." Deuteronomy 8:8:2 (NIV)
God put the Israelites through and intensive 40 year test, so he could expose the conditions of their heart and refine them. David believed his mistreatment by Saul and the later trials when he was expelled from his kingdom by his son Absalom were for a similar reason - to humble and develop his integrity.
The same can be true for us, but we would hope it would not take 40 years. But by having a close, open and honest relationship with the Lord and accepting the hard times that come our way as times of growth and refinement, we will truly find blessings from the Lord.
1. Why is it difficult to be open and honest with the Lord when we are going through hard times?
2. ALWAYS REMEMBERING GOD'S LOVE AND OBEYING HIS WORD
Read Psalm 26:3, John 14:15-26
"For I am always aware of your unfailing love and I have lived according to your truth."
Psalm 26:3 (NLT)
"If you love me, keep my commands, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth." John 14:15 (NIV)
If you are truly confident in God's love, you will find great delight in pleasing Him, just as David did. David knew that obeying God and keeping his eyes on His truth was his greatest delight.
2. What is your greatest challenge - remembering God's love or obeying God? Why?
3. I WILL REFUSE THE TEMPTATION TO GET EVEN AND
WILL MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Read Psalm 26:4-7a, 9-11
"I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites. I hate the gatherings of those who do evil and I refuse to join in with the wicked." Psalm 26:5
I probably found this the hardest `resolve' to keep as bitterness and negative thoughts would forever come up to haunt me at different times in my life, especially when people around me would make comments like: "Why put up with that?", "You deserve justive", "Fight back".
There were a number of times David had the opportunity to `get back' at Saul and he could have easily fought with his son Absalom. But he never yielded to the vengeful rhetoric of others around him. Why not?
Well, we don't really know. He probably just trusted God to protect him. For me, keeping this resolve was just something my father taught me, `Revenge is never the way to go'.
As Charles Swindoll puts it:
"Do not let mistreatment cause you to turn to a godless crowd or adopt their way of handling things. It may seem logical, but getting even often backfires and it never glorifies God."
I was also taught many a time:
"For as a person thinks in his heart, so he shall be." Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)
When a heart is full of bitterness it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Oh, you can smile on the outside - and I am famous for that - and everyone may think that life is grand. But on the inside your are still fighting inner turmoil.
Joyce Meyer reminds us that if we are able to give this inner turmoil to the Lord and remind ourselves of the promises in His Word each day, positive thoughts, rather than the negative will flow easier. One of my favourite promises is this:
"We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." Romans 8:28 (NIV)
"This scripture does not say that all things ARE good! But it does say that all things work together FOR good." Joyce Meyer
WHAT A POSITIVE PROMISE!
3. Refusing to get even while maintaining a positive attitude is something we cannot do on our own. What are some practical ways we can seek God's help and the help of others?
4. BEING FAITHFUL IN PUBLIC WORSHIP - Read Psalm 26: 7b & 8
"I love your sanctuary Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells." Psalm 26:8
"The one thing I ask of the Lord, the one thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfection and meditating in His temple." Psalm 27:4
"What joy for those who choose to bring you near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us in your holy temple." Psalm 65:4
"A single day in your courts is better than anywhere else." Psalm 85:10
Even when times were tough David found that going to the temple and worshiping the Lord was the best place to be. He didn't try to handle things on his own, but went straight to God - to the place where He could sense His glory.
Mark and I have been very busy these last couple of weeks, starting our new life at the Circus, and I wasn't sure whether we would have a chance to get to Church. Worship and Christian fellowship for us is more than just a religious habit, but vital to our spiritual enrichment and personal encouragement. So it was truly a blessing to be able to visit with God's people at a local Church fellowship last week. We were disappointed when we went back to Church this week and discovered it was closed - they only met once a fortnight.
We were able to have our private worship time together, and this was important for us personally - but as David reminds us, public worship also is important for reaching out to others as well.
"Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now as the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
"I exalt you my God and King and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you everyday; yes, I will praise you forever.......I will meditate on your glorious, majestic, splendour and wonderful miracles.......The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes to all who call on Him in truth.........I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on the earth bless His name forever and ever." Psalm 145: 1,2,5,18 & 21 (NLT)
4a) Why is worshipping God so encouraging when the trials of life intensify?
b) Why is it so important to worship with other believers?
5. STANDING PATIENTLY AND WAITING ON THE LORD
Read Psalm 26:12
"Now I stand on solid rock and I will publicly praise the Lord." Psalm 26:12
"For examples in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." James 5:10
This is another of those resolutions that is often difficult to keep, for as humans we have a need to rush ahead of God and want to `solve' every problem ourselves. Sound familiar!
But David had found a calmness in the Lord. He had learnt how to wait quietly on the Lord - maybe it had been by endeavouring to keep these 4 other resolutions - to be open and honest with the Lord, remembering His love and His Word, refusing to allow temptations and bitterness to overpower him while maintaining a positive attitude and being faithful in public worship.
It has taken me a long time I have to confess, but I have believe I am beginning to find that inner peace that is allowing me to wait patiently on the Lord. I have learnt to trust in the Lord's leading, to enfold myself in God's love and His Word, to give my negative thoughts and bitterness to God and most of all to remain faithful in my public worship. I think it is working, and I now I just want to continue to grow and share this peace with others.
"Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
"Living the Psalms" (2012) Charles R Swindoll, Worthy Publishing
"Battlefield of the Mind" (2000) Joyce Meyer, Warner Faith Printers
" Holy Bible, New Living Translation" (NLT) (1996) Tyndale Publishing.
" New King James Version" (NKJV) (1982) Thomas Nelson
"New International Version" (NIV) (2013) You Version .
