According to My Righteousness
August 10, 2009

“The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.” – Psalm 7:8

Here’s a challenging psalm: David affirms that God judges justly, stating with assurance, “If a man does not repent, [God] will sharpen his sword; he has bent his bow and made it ready” (v. 12). He then says calmly, “Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity.”

Think of it: No hesitation. No caveats. No qualifiers. David is so confident in the holiness of his life that he asks God to vindicate him and intercede for him “according to my righteousness and my integrity.”

Would we be willing to make the same statement? Or would we have to say, “Vindicate me, O Lord, because I’m righteous most of the time … just ignore those websites I know I shouldn’t be looking at.” Or perhaps, “Vindicate me, O Lord, because I act with integrity at work, even though I’m nasty to my spouse at home.” Or even, “Vindicate me, O Lord, because my righteousness looks good to other people, even though you and I know otherwise.”

• Can you say with assurance, “Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity,” or are there things in your life that would make you hesitate to make such a statement? If so, what are they? What will you do about it?
• What are the benefits to living a holy life – a life of righteousness and integrity?