Psalm 26:2-3

Psalm 26:2 – 3 

Living in reliance 

     Verse 2 here leads directly in verse 3 as David dares to ask God to test him and try him in the belief that he will not be found wanting. He is using legal speak here, he is audacious enough to ask God to scrutinise his heart and his thoughts and believes that the Lord will not be disappointed in him!  Before we leap to the conclusion that David must either be mad or some kind of super-saint to dare to make such a request, we need to look at what he is really saying. Of course he had sinned. Of course he had suffered with wrong intentions and evil thoughts, David was a human being just like the rest of us. However, it is not his works that he asks God to test; it is his dependence. Here is a man who can say, “I am always aware of Your unfailing love Lord. I live my life dependent on You and on Your faithfulness.”  This is often at the heart of mankind’s problem with God. Israel never understood that it was not works but faith that was the basis of their relationship with Almighty God. It was Abraham’s faith that was counted unto him as righteousness. (Romans 4) It is faith and trust and dependence that is the basis of our relationship, for we would never dare to ask God to accept us on the strength of our deeds. We are all sinful, we have all failed miserably to live by God’s commands. However hard we try, the keeping of them is beyond us but they are not the basis of our relationship – it is faith and then obedience. Learn this lesson well, it will save you a lot of grief. 

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