SCRIPTURE
Psalm 26 (NRSV)
Prayer for acceptance
Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
I hate the company of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence,
and go around your altar, O Lord,
singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides.
Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
those in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.
DEVOTION
Today, I am struck by the verse that states, “O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.”
The Psalmist wrote this entire psalm as a prayer of acceptance. He tells God all of the right that he has done and the wrong that he has eschewed. He begs God not to sweep him away with sinners…but to redeem and be gracious toward him.
This is such a sincere and heartfelt prayer. But, this side of the cross our prayers ought to sound a lot different, right?
We know that God loves us because God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. We know that no one is so good as to deserve forgiveness or eternal life, but that God is good and as a result grants us love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy.
As a result of this blessed assurance, we can confess our sin to God knowing that God, who is faithful and just, forgives our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
We know that since we have put all of our hope in Jesus we will not be swept away with sinners, but that we will know the incredible blessing of dwelling in the place where God’s glory abides for eternity!
As a foretaste of glory divine, Jesus sent the precious Holy Spirit to dwell inside of every believer. We carry the spark of the divine presence everywhere that we go! Spirit speaks to our hearts, leading and guiding, teaching and admonishing, helping and healing us at all times. It is by God’s Spirit that we are able to live into a life of love, joy, and peace and to share the good news with everyone whom we meet.
It never ceases to amaze me that God loves us so very much! All of Creation declares God’s love. The cross and empty tomb declare God’s love and God’s Spirit in us and at work through us declares God’s love!
I hope that you will be very, very sure, that you are the Beloved Child of God! No matter who you are, what mistakes you’ve made, or who you’ve hurt, if you will just stop and put all of your hope in Jesus believing that he died and rose again to show forth His love for you, you are saved! As you confess your sin and shortcoming to God, God is quick to forgive you and as you experience God’s love and forgiveness, I believe that you will be quick to seek the forgiveness of others and to make things right to the best of your ability!
Today, if you would like to put all of your hope and faith in Jesus, please pray with me:
Holy God, thank you that you welcome me with open arms into your Eternal Kingdom of Love. I believe that You gave Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life. I believe that Jesus did not stay dead, but got up on the third day just as He promised! Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share our love with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
SPECIAL NOTE
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!
I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the upper right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”
Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
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