Stand Before God And Declare His Praises

Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise God. Psalm 26:12

Could you stand before God and say the words David wrote in the final verse of Psalm 26? He didn’t just arbitrarily come up with them. He laid his case out like he was standing in court.

David willingly wanted to stand on trial before God because of his unwavering faith. Like any good defense attorney, he stood before the Judge, asking Him to proclaim his innocence.

Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. Psalm 26:1-2

He began this Psalm with a powerful statement. He said that he acted with integrity. We can claim to have integrity whether we have it or not. Think about it: who would know?

You see, integrity means we do the right things even when no one else can see us. A witty person might fool others about their lack of integrity until their dishonesty catches up with them.

Free eBook

What God Wants You To Know — Click on the graphic to get your free book

But, no one can stand before God declaring to Him their honesty and uprightness if they don’t exist. With David, his unwavering faith immediately recognized God’s love and truth.

For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. Psalm 26:3

To live a Christian life we must also make God’s love and truth a part of our daily walk. David refrained from participating in ungodly activities, and so should we.

I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.
I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked. Psalm 26:4-5

How Do You Spend Your Time?

Sometimes, we get confused because the Bible doesn’t always cover some of the things we encounter. We don’t know if we should consider them sin or not. Look at what Paul instructed.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22

Can you stand before God like David, confessing your obedience to his Word? Or can you stand before Him with a clear conscience? Sometimes, we must allow our conscience to guide us.

But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. Romans 14:23

David symbolically washed his hands to declare his innocence to the Lord. Then he turned to the second part of the title of this writing. To not only stand before God but to declare His praises.

I come to your altar, O Lord, singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.
I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells. Psalm 26:6-8

In the Old Testament, God’s people gathered at the Temple and sacrificed at the altar. Today, we have the freedom to stand in the presence of God anywhere.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have special places to get alone with the Lord. Some people refer to those places as a prayer closest. The church can also provide a great place to meet with God.

Stand With God and Praise Him

Along with the congregation, we can stand and praise God as we lift our hands and voices to Him. The altar serves as a place of solitude to kneel in the presence of the Lord.

David lived in a world filled with various types of temptations. He may have faced different temptations than us, but we can certainly identify with being tempted.

He prayed that he didn’t end up like those who prioritize the things of this world. Plus, he didn’t want to suffer the fate of the sinners and those involved in dirty schemes.

Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers. Their hands are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes. Psalm 26:9-10

Neither do I want to suffer along with the wicked. In fact, unlike many of David’s prayers asking God to destroy them, we should pray for them. Pray they join us in eternity.

Jesus made His message very simple. I know that, because I understood it when someone told me about Him. Thus, I received Christ as my Savior. Now, we must share His message with others.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

David wanted to assure God that he did not live like sinners. He didn’t even think like they did. So, as he brought Psalm 26 to a close, he revisited the word integrity.

But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy. Psalm 26:11

Let Your Integrity Stand Out

When the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus, he told him that others should see his integrity. In other words, it’s not something we hide in our closets because others should learn from it.

You yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Titus 2:7

You might argue that you don’t teach. People, however, watch our lives, especially when we claim to be Christian. Therefore, everything you do, good or bad, will teach those watching you.

Although David had some setbacks, he continually tried to align his public and private life with God’s ways. That’s why he could write, I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise God.

Where does your life stand with God? Are you standing by faith on the solid ground of God’s word? Or is your wavering faith unsettled like the waves of the sea?

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

In a later Psalm, King David tried to consistently stand blamelessly before God. But he understood that he could only accomplish that goal with the help of the Lord.

I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. Psalm 101:2