458_A life marked by a living faith Psalm 26 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. 4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, 7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. 8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. 9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10 in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. 11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. 12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord. A few years ago, a well-known sculptor was asked how he carved such a lifelike image of a lion from a block of marble. He smiled and replied, “I just remove everything that doesn't look like a lion.” It was such a simple but revealing answer to what seemed a complex task. He could already see the shape of the lion in the marble. The real art was in taking away anything that didn’t belong. As God’s people, God does not want us to wear a mask of virtue or perform or become something that is alien to us. Rather, he wants to shape us, removing all that does not look like Christ in us. Such a life is one of integrity, marked by constant surrender. A life marked by living faith is one that says, “Search me, O God… see if there is any wicked way in me.” Thus, Psalm 26 offers a window into David’s heart. Not just the man who slew Goliath or ruled Israel, but a man who walked with God constantly and in secret. A man who longed for his life, both inside and out, to reflect faith in a living, holy God. The psalm begins “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.” David’s confidence here is not in his perfection of morals or life. All he has to boast of is that his heart is perfect towards God. He has never desired any other God. He has never wanted anything of life that God is not pleased to give him. His trust in God has been consistent and sincere. Most of us shrink at the thought of being fully known—our thoughts, motives, secret desires exposed before God. But not David, who says in verse 2: “Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” All he longs for is the approval of God on

459_My heart shall not fear Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Charles Spurgeon once told the story of a boy groping his way through a forest late at night. In the pitch darkness, every crack of twigs underfoot, every rustle in the bushes, made his heart leap. But suddenly, he heard a familiar voice — the voice of his father calling him from a nearby house. In that moment, fear fled. The forest remained the same, but having someone he trusted nearby brought peace instead of fear. This is the power of presence. Psalm 27 is David’s praise-filled description of his barrier to fear. It was not by pretending strength. It was the anchor of God’s unshakable presence. Like so many of his psalms, this too may have emerged from a season of trouble. Despite enemies, battles, and betrayals, this is not a psalm of despair, but of confidence and triumph. It begins boldly: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Darkness is often terrifying. Danger seems imminent when we can’t see what is around us. But for

460_Our real strength Psalm 28 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. 3 Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. 4 Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. 6 Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. During World War II, a small town in France was under constant threat of bombing. Among the many terrified citizens was an old woman who calmly went about her daily routines — sweeping her front porch, humming old hymns, and offering help to anyone in need. One day, a group of soldiers passing by asked her, “Aren’t you afraid, madam? How are you so calm when everyone else is in panic?” She looked at them kindly and said, “I made peace with God a long time ago. I sleep each night knowing He is my strength and shield. I cannot stop the bombs, but I know who holds the skies.” That quiet confidence—anchored not in circumstance but in Someone greater—is at the heart of Psalm 28. In this deeply personal psalm, David reminds us where our real strength lies. It is not in armies, strategies, or sheer willpower. It is in God Himself—our rock, our shield, our refuge. The psalm opens with a passionate plea from David, a cry that reveals not only his desperation but also his dependency. He says in verse 2: “Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.” These are not casual prayers. They are the groans of a heart in a time of calamity, a heart that knows only God can save. David knows what it means to be surrounded by enemies, misunderstood by people, and threatened by betrayal. But he also knows that the One who dwells in the holy sanctuary is listening. In the following verses, David pleads not to be counted among the wicked. For their condition is dangerous—not just outwardly, but inwardly. The duplicity of the wicked—their

461_The awesome power of God Psalm 29 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! In August of 2015, a tremendous lightning storm struck the Grand Canyon. A photographer, who had waited for years to capture such a moment, finally clicked a once-in-a-lifetime shot: a single bolt of lightning arcing across the dark sky, illuminating the vast canyon with an otherworldly glow. The image went viral—not just because of its visual brilliance, but because it captured something deeper. That moment of thunder and lightning brought people to a standstill. It was as if nature itself was trembling before a presence greater than any man could explain. What we felt when looking at that photo was awe. Not fear alone, not admiration alone, but a deep, trembling recognition of a power that we could not control or contain. This is the power that Psalm 29 invites us to ponder—not in nature alone, but in the voice and majesty of God Himself. Psalm 29 is a poetic display of the awesome power of God. The psalmist, King David, begins by calling on “heavenly beings”—perhaps angelic hosts or even earthly rulers—to give God the glory and strength that is due to Him. This is not a casual invitation; it’s a summons to worship. And not just any kind of worship, but the kind that recognizes the weight of His holiness. David says, “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” In our culture, beauty and holiness rarely walk hand-in-hand. We associate beauty with glamour, with youth, with external perfection. Holiness, on the other hand, is often seen as outdated, stiff, or inaccessible. But the psalmist insists: there is a surpassing beauty in holiness—a radiant, awe-inspiring purity that draws us near even as it humbles us. True holiness isn’t self-made; it is a garment given by God Himself—the imputed righteousness of Christ, without which none of us could stand in God’s presence. As the psalm continues, a single phrase echoes seven times like a thunderclap: “The voice of the Lord.” Each repetition draws our attention to the sheer authority

462_The Lord who changes our fortunes Psalm 30 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! One of the most moving stories to come out of the Rwandan genocide is that of a woman named Immaculée. She was a young university student when the horrific civil war erupted in 1994. For 91 days - three months - she hid in a tiny bathroom with seven other women, while death and chaos raged around them. Most of her family died. After the genocide, she emerged not with a heart full of bitterness, but with a spirit of forgiveness and gratitude. In her book Left to Tell, she describes the sustaining and transforming presence of God in that cramped bathroom. When she was afraid, she trusted him. And He changed her weeping into worship. She walked out of the darkness of that place into the light of a changed life. Her story is one of many that echoes the powerful truth found in Psalm 30 — that we serve a God who changes our fortunes. Psalm 30 opens with David's passionate praise: “I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.” The title of the psalm suggests that it was written for the dedication of the temple or David’s house. But the content speaks of pain, fear, even death, and miraculous recovery. David is not celebrating a new building, but a new lease on life. He exalts God who answers prayer, who delivered him from the brink of death and vindicated him before his enemies. David’s affliction remains a secret. It may have been a severe illness, a battle wound, or an emotional breakdown. It brought him to the edge