Unshakable Faith
Opening Prayer
Purify my heart, O God, and set me apart for Your purposes, that I might run after You.
Read Psalm 15:1-5
[1]A psalm of David. LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? [2] The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; [3] whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; [4] who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; [5] who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What are some of the characteristics of the righteous?David’s rhetorical question starts this psalm about living a blameless life (1). The answers then follow, with repetition for emphasis. The list of godly qualities starts with integrity (2). For a Jewish person, life was not compartmentalized. Every aspect of existence reflected their belief in and reliance on God: what to eat and wear; how to order family and community life; how to govern society and conduct business. The godly, blameless person is to be truthful (2) and not a gossip (3), discerning in relationships (4) and generous with personal possessions (5). Reading this today we might be tempted to think that we can live a good life by following a set of rules. But in fact, without God’s help, who could live to such a high standard? Thankfully Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit to work in us, transforming our lives to be more like Jesus, as we cooperate with him. Because of Jesus, we can say we “will never be shaken” (5). Because of Jesus, God sees us as blameless (Eph. 1:4).
Apply
Use some time today to reflect on your life. Ask God to help you to see where change is needed.
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