Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 0-171 (Bible Reading Notes)

PSALM 26 (From ‘Encounter with God’ – Sunday 27 Aug 2000)

RITUAL OR REFRESHMENT?

When you gather for worship with other believers, how consciously do you prepare yourself to worship?

Nobody’s perfect, but this psalm depicts the man or woman coming to worship as a forgiven believer seeking to walk in God’s way. In this sense the psalmist is ‘blameless’ (vs 1,11), as compared with those bent on evil (vs 4,5,9,10; see 1 Cor 4:35). And there are plenty of them, then as now.

One of my friends was bankrupted by evil people who refused to pay their bills and dared him to incur court costs to get his money. His wife had a breakdown from the stress. But he, and she, have not given in to the ‘assembly of evildoers’ (v 5); they draw strength from ‘the great assembly’ (v 12) of followers of the covenantLord.

This psalm was probably used as preparation for entering the temple to worship. It declares the believer’s commitment to morally clean living, and invites God to ‘test’ the inner person (v 2) a verb used of the iron refiner’s fire. Note the firmness of the verbs in verses 46. This believer means business. Symbolically washing the hands in the laver at the door of the temple (v 6; see Exod 40:3032), the psalmist expresses joy at being there (vs 7,8), and prays to be preserved from the wicked (vs 9,10).

Are you as uplifted by the prospect of worshipping together with other believers? Do you truly expect God to meet with you? (From dull worship services, good Lord protect us!)

My friends gain strength from their trust in God and the support of their church, particularly through the closer fellowship of a caring small group. They are coming through their trial with a deeper commitment to God and renewed courage to battle on in the commercial jungle.

Pray for the quality of church life in your congregation that people may approach worship with due seriousness, and minister to each other in ways that get beyond surface pleasantries.

– Brian Hill

Copyright Scripture Union, 2000

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