Pray for integrity (2)

Wednesday July 28, 2021

Pray for integrity (2)

“Do not cast me away from you, do not withdraw your Holy Spirit from me ! Give me back the joy of your salvation, and may a spirit of good will come and support me ! I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” Psalm 51.13-15

Yesterday we heard David's cry of repentance, crushed under the weight of his fault, and his prayer that God would not withdraw His Spirit from him and restore to him the joy of his salvation. A great lesson for all of us. Who among us would dare to claim to be blameless with the Lord and “beware of our sin” (Psalm 18.24) ? We too must go through the repentance box, before praying to the Lord to restore us and give us the joy of salvation. And after ? After forgiveness and restoration comes the “encouragement of others” box. Hear what David later wrote : “Blessed are those whose conduct is blameless, those who walk according to the law of the Lord ! Happy are those who keep His instructions, who seek Him with all their heart, who do no injustice, and who walk in His ways ! You have promulgated Your decrees to be observed with care. May my actions be well regulated, so that I respect Your prescriptions ! So I will not be ashamed of all Your commandments. I will praise You with a righteous heart as I study Your righteous sentences. I want to respect Your prescriptions : do not completely abandon me ! How will the young man make his path afraid ? By keeping to Your word. I seek You with all my heart : do not let me stray from Your commandments ! I hold Your word in my heart so that I do not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your statutes. With my lips I enumerate all the sentences that You have pronounced. I am as happy to follow Your instructions as if I had all the treasures. I meditate on Your decrees, I have your paths before my eyes. I delight in Your decrees, I do not forget Your word. Do good to your servant, so that I may live and obey Your word. Open my eyes, so that I may contemplate the wonders of Your Law” (Psalm 119.1-18). What Nathan did for David, Jesus did for us too, but even more, as He explained to Peter : “I prayed for you, so that your faith does not disappear ; and you, when you return to me, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22.32). Let's take an example from David's prayer and take courage knowing that Jesus also prays for us !

Source (His Word for Today)