Psalm 26 :: by Nathele Graham

Published on: August 5, 2018September 7, 2018 by RR7

A Psalm of David: “Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide“ (Psalm 26:1).

Throughout history there have been very few people who can compare to King David. His younger years were spent among sheep, and he knew how important it was to be watchful so the flock didn’t go astray. He learned skills of weaponry in order to protect the flock. He even killed a lion and a bear in protecting his sheep. He was young when Samuel was sent by God to anoint him as the chosen king of Israel to reign after Saul. Why was David chosen?

Unbeknownst to him, he had been training to be king his entire life.

The skills he learned from tending to a wandering flock of sheep would help him to watch over the kingdom which God entrusted to him. The fight with the lion and the bear taught him to overcome fear to defend the flock against the enemy. The time he spent sitting and watching the sheep taught him to be observant and alert. It also gave him time to practice the skills of war. Those skills served him well when Saul’s army cowered in the rocks, hiding from Goliath. Goliath’s blasphemy of God Almighty offended David who fearlessly took his slingshot to battle the giant. David knew that God was with him.

The time with the sheep was also spent drawing near to God. In Psalm 26, David asked God to judge (vindicate) him and wasn’t afraid of what the Lord would find. If there was sin, he wanted God to reveal it so that he could continue to walk in integrity and not stumble. This wasn’t a request for God to give a quick look, but David wanted God to do a deep search of his heart. Whatever God found that needed to be changed, David would repent and change to fit God’s standards. This humble side of David is what made him a man after God’s own heart.

The songs David wrote reveal the character of this God-fearing man. David was far from perfect, but he didn’t sit back and accept his sin as simply being human. Likewise, our desire should be to please God. Psalm 26 shows us how David’s trust in the LORD molded and guided his life.

“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart“ (Psalm 26:2).

Are you brave enough to ask God to examine you? We all have things lurking in the dark recesses of our hearts. Resentment against a person can grow into hatred, or maybe there’s a hidden desire to commit adultery. If you don’t turn to God for help, you run the risk of the hidden sin becoming an action.

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death“ (James 1:14-15).

We have Scripture to guide us; and if any Christian says they didn’t know something was a sin, then that’s an indication that their Bible is gathering dust. Scripture is our guide, and prayer is our connection with God. Neither should be neglected.

Our attitude and our choice of friends affect our outlook. David was a man who recognized God’s handiwork and chose to see His goodness and kindness instead of doom and gloom. It wasn’t that David didn’t have problems, but he always turned to God. There were instances where King Saul tried to kill him; and then his own son, Absalom, turned against him. Instead of allowing the problems in his life to ruin his character, David saw God’s lovingkindness.

“For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers“ (Psalm 26:3-4).

David chose his friends and advisors wisely. He didn’t surround himself with men who told him what he wanted to hear, but with men who helped him stay right with God. There was a time when David wanted to build a Temple for God, but Nathan the prophet honestly told him that God wouldn’t allow him to build it. It was also Nathan who pointed out the sin David committed with Bathsheba. We all need to have people around us who will help us stay right with God rather than help us to sin. We also have the Holy Spirit to guide us through Scripture.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works“ (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It may be that you need to use Scripture to allow God to reveal the sin in your life, or maybe you should use it to help a fellow Christian out of their sin, just as Nathan helped David.

Too often we worry about being judgmental if we recognize someone’s sin as sin. It’s wrong to judge with condemnation in mind, but God gives us the facts to judge with discernment. We aren’t to fellowship with persistent evil doers, even if they claim to be Christian.

“I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked” (Psalm 26:5).

God loves people, but the sin that separates us from Him is another matter. We need to witness to the unsaved and introduce them to Christ; but if we don’t allow God to examine our hearts and reveal our own sin, we run the risk of becoming a part of the congregation of evil doers. When we forge friendships with people who reject Christ and follow after evil, we run the risk of being influenced by them. You may have to shop at a store owned by a wicked person and may even witness to evil doers, but you don’t forge friendships with them.

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret“ Ephesians 5:11-12.

As long as we live on this side of Heaven we’ll have to be around people who reject Christ and see sin as normal. God doesn’t want us to hide away and not have contact with sinners, but we needn’t fellowship with them.

“I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD. That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works“ (Psalm 26:6-7).

None of us are innocent. Not even David. Washing one’s hands will cleanse the dirt and germs from them, and the Jewish Law required certain ceremonial washings; but the cleansing was never permanent. The Pharisees confronted Jesus as to why His disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate bread. After a lengthy answer in which He pointed out that the Pharisees were far from clean in their ways, Jesus made it clear what it is that truly defiles a person.

“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man“ (Matthew 15:11).

David desired to be innocent so he could be at the altar of God and praise Him and tell of the wonders God has done. David certainly did that as evidenced by the numerous Psalms which he wrote. As Christians we should also take care about what comes out of our mouths. Do we speak using foul language? Do we gossip about others or share filthy jokes? It would be so much better to use our voice to thank God for all He has done, and sing His praises.

It would be wonderful if every leader of every nation had the desire of King David. He loved the Lord and loved to be in His presence.

“LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth“ (Psalm 26:8).

David’s son Solomon finally built the Temple for the Lord, but it was destroyed. It was then rebuilt, but again it was destroyed. Today we tend to think of a building we call a church and think that by going there we are in the place where the Lord dwells. Here’s something to consider:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?“ (1 Corinthians 3:16).

At the moment a person truly accepts Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells them. Their sins are forgiven and they are now the dwelling place of God. If, like David, you love the “…habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth,” shouldn’t you love fellow Christians and draw near to them? We should also do all within our power to be sure that the temple of our own life is a place where the Holy Spirit is pleased to dwell.

David loved the Lord; but unlike Christians today, he didn’t have the assurance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. At his time in history, he knew the Lord and looked forward to the coming Messiah. Only obedience to God’s Law could offer the hope of eternal life:

“Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD“ (Psalm 26:9-12).

David’s desire was to not be counted among those who rejected God’s Law. Most of us today take salvation for granted. When we place our faith in Jesus, we become reconciled with God and we’re redeemed. Our sins are forgiven and eternal life is ours.

The sacrifice Jesus made is never to be taken for granted. He left the splendor and glory of Heaven to step into this fallen world. In spite of being mocked and scorned by the religious leaders, Jesus’ love was perfect. Your acceptance of His sacrifice is the only way you can avoid the eternal death that the “sinners and bloody men” will face during the final judgment at the White Throne. If you haven’t placed your eternal life in the hands of Jesus, you need to make that decision today.

Whether you’ve asked Him or not, God has already searched your heart and you’re guilty of sin that’s worthy of death. Eternal death. Nobody can be saved by good works and nobody is good enough when judged by God’s standards. Now, the good news. If you’ve accepted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation, you aren’t condemned.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

Accept that salvation right now. Turn from your sin and start living your life so you honor Jesus. You will never regret that decision throughout all eternity.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

Are You a Follower or a Disciple? :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: July 29, 2018September 6, 2018 by RR7

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him“ (Matthew 4:18-20).

Jesus saw these two men as they were going about their daily business and knew that they would be faithful followers. Peter and Andrew were fishermen, not scholars, but Jesus saw their abilities beyond fishing. Not only would these two men follow Jesus, but they would be disciples. A follower doesn’t necessarily have or want knowledge of what they follow, and many follow along for the wrong reasons. Some people only followed Jesus to be healed or because He was somewhat of a celebrity. On the other hand, a disciple is a pupil or student of a teacher and follows in order to learn.

It’s easy to blindly follow someone, and perhaps that’s what Peter was doing when Jesus first called him. Andrew had already talked with Jesus and realized that He was the Messiah. In the Gospel of John, we learn that Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist who first recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew and another disciple of John’s decided to spend some time with Jesus and were impressed.

“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ” (John 1:40-41).

That’s how we’re all introduced to Jesus. We hear about Him from another person, then we have to make a choice. If we decide to follow Jesus, we need to become disciples. We need to learn the lessons that Jesus taught by studying Scripture and applying it to our life. In Andrew’s case, he had followed John the Baptist until he saw Jesus. After visiting with Jesus, he was convinced that he had met the Messiah, then told his brother Peter. When Jesus saw them fishing on the shores of Galilee, they were both ready to follow Him.

Andrew may have been ready to be a disciple, but Peter was only ready to follow. That’s a start. He may have just been looking for adventure, but we can be sure that Jesus knew that he had what was needed to learn and eventually spread the Gospel.

Why is it important to be a disciple? Today, there are many cults that claim to be Christian but deceive many people who have no knowledge of the truth. These people are unable to discern the Gospel truth from Satan’s deception. If you haven’t learned God’s truth, you’ll follow the wrong path. The best teacher of Scripture is the Holy Spirit. The Bible is one single book from Genesis through Revelation; and if you skip verses or chapters, you’ll miss some important teachings.

The Torah (the first books of the Bible) teaches about how God defines sin and the penalty for disobedience. The New Testament reveals God’s remedy for sin. Every Bible is a translation; and to gain a deeper understanding of what Scripture says, you should look up words in their original language by using a good concordance. By doing this, your understanding will grow. Never take a verse out of context, but use the 20/20 rule. That means read at least 20 verses before and 20 verses after to understand the context.

If your Bible has cross references to related Scripture, take the time to look at them. There are many books and commentaries regarding Scripture, and some are very good and informative. There’s nothing wrong with studying what others have already studied, but don’t believe what they say just because they’ve written a book. Unstudied people are easily deceived by false teachers. Pray for discernment.

When you do look at commentaries, it’s a good idea to look at more than one in order to get more than one perspective. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth“ (2 Timothy 2:15).

Remember, God hasn’t changed. His word was absolutely true in the beginning, and it will be absolutely true in the end.

It’s possible to follow Christ without really being a disciple. Crowds of people followed Jesus, but they followed without learning. Not even the twelve disciples really knew who He was at first. As Jesus patiently taught them, some of His words sank in, but they first had to get past their preconceived ideas. For instance, Jesus gave them a long talk about humility and forgiveness. Peter listened; and like a good student, he asked a question in order to learn. Out of all the things that Jesus had taught that day, Peter wanted to understand forgiveness.

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?“ (Matthew 18:21).

Peter must have been struggling with forgiveness and thought forgiving someone seven times was a great accomplishment. Was he thinking of some hidden hurts that had been done to him and people he needed to forgive?

“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven“ (Matthew 18:22).

That’s a lot of forgiving! It isn’t easy to forgive even once, and to forgive 490 times takes an act of God. Peter was learning, but he still had a lot more to learn before he would become the leader that Jesus knew he would be. Ask questions when you don’t understand something, and the Holy Spirit will lead you to the truth. It may not be the answer you hoped for, but it will be God’s truth.

Erroneous doctrine is nothing new. In times long past, there were some who tried to muddle God’s prophetic words to Israel. As we draw near to the end of time, it’s very important not to follow false teachers who modify Scripture to “modernize” it or make it fit today’s traditions. Peter learned because he eventually stopped following and became a disciple. It was Peter who warned us against following false teachers.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of“ (2 Peter 2:1-2).

Many denominations have gone apostate and teach “damnable heresies.” New Age teachings, yoga, and contemplative prayer are just a few of the errors being accepted today. Homosexual relationships are embraced because, instead of following God, we allow our doctrine to be shaped by people. A person who is a disciple and studies Scripture will know how wrong that is.

In Old Testament times, during the time of the judges, there was a problem with people not respecting God’s truth. “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes“ (Judges 17:6).

Today, the King of kings, Jesus Christ, has come to show us the way; so we have no reason to do what is right in our own eyes. A person who loves Jesus and wants souls to be saved before it’s too late will study God’s word and mold their life to fit Scripture. Then they will speak in Christian love to others and begin teaching and encouraging them to become disciples of the Most High God and learn His ways.

It’s easy to be deceived if you don’t learn God’s doctrines. Peter had followed Jesus, seen many miraculous things, and asked questions; but was he truly a disciple? When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied even knowing Him. When Jesus was crucified, Peter was nowhere to be found. It could have been the end of Peter’s discipleship, but Jesus hadn’t given up on him…

On that glorious Resurrection morning, a group of women went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away. They entered the tomb and saw a young man sitting there. He told them he knew they were looking for Jesus and not to be afraid.

“But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you“ (Mark 16:7).

Did you catch that? Tell His disciples and Peter. At that point, Peter wasn’t counted among the disciples but was just a follower. They did go to Galilee, and there they met the risen Christ. Gently and lovingly, Jesus talked with Peter; and at last he became a true disciple. Peter listened to Jesus and let Jesus’ words become a part of him. Because he chose to learn from Jesus, Peter not only was restored as a disciple but was also an Apostle. He became a strong leader among those first Christians; and today we can learn lessons from both his failures and his victories.

How do you become a disciple of Jesus today? You pray and study Scripture. As you study, look at your life and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the sin hidden there. We all have it, and we need to change our life to become more like Jesus. Sin will always hinder our walk with the Lord. If you have a favorite sin that you hold onto, don’t twist Scripture to make that sin seem acceptable. Choose to become like Jesus by repenting, asking forgiveness, and taking up your cross to follow Him.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me“ (Luke 9:23).

Jesus took your sin and my sin upon Himself. He shed His blood on the cross so that we can be reconciled to God. Every day you need to make a conscious effort to turn away from the sin you hold onto. Study Scripture and apply it to your life. Be a disciple and not a mere follower. Other people will see the change in you, and that will allow you to be a witness for Christ.

If you don’t study God’s word, you’re in danger of following a false teacher down the wrong path. Don’t be a follower of deception, but be a disciple of Jesus.