Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop ;
with my God I can scale a wall.
– Psalm 18:20-29
Devotion
Have you ever been in a situation where you received exactly what you deserved? A speeding ticket after driving a little too fast? A stomach ache after eating too much sweets? A promotion after working hard in your job? A good grade on a test after studying all week? In life we often receive the very thing that we deserve.
In the Old Testament, our right standing before God was determined by the way we lived our lives. David here does not claim sinlessness, but single-hearted devotion to the Lord. David is not boasting in his accomplishments. David simply recognizes the fact that God is committed to those who keep themselves from sin and do not turn away from God. Today, we live this way as “thank you note” to God for sending His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us.
David was far from sinless. However, when he sinned his response was always repentance. Repentance means to change your mind. When David was brought face to face with his sin, he had a change of mind regarding that sin. He would change his life to move away from his sin so that he could begin moving towards God. When we come face to face with our sin, we must practice repentance. We must move away from our sin and move towards God. This is what David did and this is why God looked favorably upon him.
The Big Question
Take an honest look at what you are receiving in your life. What does that say about the life that you are living? What can you do to honor God more with your life?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.