A Road Map for Life | Beginning With GodSample

INTEGRITY (Psalm 26)

Integrity.

It is a word that is used sparingly in our society today, and I would say that it is seen even more rarely.

You find it throughout God’s Word, and it is always connected to His nature. Psalm 26 utilizes this powerful word at the beginning and the end.

Verse 1: “Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.”

Verses 11-12: “But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.”

Notice here that integrity is always connected first to God and then to the individual. Verse 1 begins with a request from the psalmist for God to judge him and an acknowledgment of trust in Him. Integrity is not something you work up on your own. If you have any in your life, it is because of the God that never changes. Likewise, in verse 12 the One who keeps you firmly in place is the Lord.

God’s integrity is something that must be made personal in us. David used the pronouns “I” and “mine" in verse 1. He has made it personal; he could not answer for anyone else, but he chose to make some decisions regarding his own life.

This is reflected again in verse 11, which begins with “as for me.”

We tend to get upset about a lack of integrity in the world, but what of us? We must answer for ourselves.

The beginning and end of Psalm 26 refer to integrity, but everything else in this short psalm is connected to it.

In verse 1, we see that integrity is built on a foundation of faith. David noted his trust in God, who is our Anchor that keeps us from drifting and changing. He is the only one who can build the right kind of foundation in your life so it does not move.

Verse 2: “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” I have learned that integrity will always be tested. Sometimes that is by others, and at times it will be God who gives the test. If you do not pass that test, there will be a lesson to be learned and then another test.

Verse 3: “For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.” Integrity requires living in the Word. Only it can show you the right thing to do and keep you moving in the right direction.

Our relationships are addressed in verses 4-5. “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.” Integrity will sometimes require hard decisions. You will have to walk away from certain relationships and say no to some associations, because those people and their influences may compromise your integrity.

Verses 6-8: “I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.”

Integrity is connected to worship. David wanted to stay right and clean before God so he could come into His presence at any moment and commune with Him. That is a glorious way to live, with a clear conscience — not worrying about someone finding you out, not looking over your shoulder. That is the essence of a life of integrity. In Acts 24:16, Paul called it “a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.”

Verses 9-10: “Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.”

Integrity means choosing right over gain. You are not looking for what you can get out of it. Instead, you have made up your mind that you are going to do the right thing even if it costs you. It may be that you pay the price instead of getting paid, but you will be a person of integrity — at home, in your business dealings, with your children, with your friends, even in the way you treat your enemies. David pointed out here that God would one day deal with those whose hands are bloody, and he did not want to be included in that number.

People of integrity are living for eternity. They are not just looking at what they can gain today or what is in their best interest for the short term. They are taking the long look.

Go to the end of the story and work your way back. Go to the Judgment Seat of Christ. What do you want on that day? A friend of mine said years ago, “The best friend you can have on earth is the one who wants you to have a good day when you stand before Jesus Christ.” I love that.

We have seen the declaration in verse 11, “I will walk in mine integrity.” It is a matter of the will, not of emotion or circumstances. You cannot blame others. You must choose it; no one will choose it for you. No one can take your integrity; you have to give it up.

At the end of verse 11, David acknowledged that he could not be a man of integrity apart from God’s mercy and continuing grace. It is not all about you. It is about depending upon the Lord, the God of integrity.

The final verse of the psalm says, “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.” This is about finding an even place and not being off balance. The steadiest place you can stand is on the Word of God.

A life of integrity should result in praise, not to you, but to God. It should draw people to the Christ that lives in you.

As I said earlier, we do not use the word much and we see it in practice even less. A builder will talk about the integrity of a structure because the foundation had better have integrity or the building will collapse. What is true of a building is true of a life.

Much is said in the world at times about financial integrity, but it is even more important to have spiritual integrity. When you get that right, it will help you in every other aspect of your life.

May we all say today by the grace of God, “I will walk in mine integrity.”