Love the Place Where God’s Glory Dwells! (2)

[Psalm 26]

Once, in order to introduce the history of our church through a slideshow, I scanned all the old photos from our church albums. While scanning those old pictures, I thought about how quickly time has passed, but also, as I looked at the old photos of those who have attended our church for many years, I was reminded again how important sincerity is as a spiritual attitude in living a faithful life. Especially nowadays, when many people move around from church to church, I think it is truly precious to serve faithfully in one church for many years.

The psalmist David, who appears in Psalm 26, was indeed a sincere man. Because he loved the place where God’s glory dwells, he confessed that he “walked in my integrity” (verses 1 and 11). Here, “walking in integrity” does not mean he was perfect or without fault like God, but that he did not conform to the sinful crowd of his time (verses 4 and 5) (Park Yun-sun). In short, this means David acted sincerely [“The Hebrew word for ‘integrity’ is ‘tom,’ which means sincerity, wholeheartedness, etc.” (Park Yun-sun)]. I have reflected on three lessons we can learn from David, who walked sincerely.

First, the one who walks sincerely trusts God without wavering.

Look at Psalm 26:1: “I have walked in my integrity; I have not waveringly trusted in the Lord; let the Lord judge me.” Even in the difficult situations he faced, David did not waver but trusted in God. Instead, he took his hardships as an opportunity to pray to God. He prayed, “Examine me, Lord, and test me; refine my heart and my mind” (verse 2). Here, “examine” means to look deeply into the heart, and “refine” refers to the process of purifying metal by fire (Park Yun-sun). This suggests that David asked to be tested through affliction to see if there were impurities in his spiritual character (Park Yun-sun). We also need to be shaken through adversity because without pain and hardship, we often do not examine our hearts deeply. We tend to pause and reflect on ourselves only when painful things happen. David took his difficult circumstances as an opportunity not only to look deeply into his own heart through God’s eyes but also as a chance for refinement. Therefore, David was firm and unwavering in his trust in God. Likewise, we should walk sincerely like David, trusting God without wavering.

Second, the one who walks sincerely walks in the truth of the Lord.

Look at Psalm 26:3: “For your mercy is before my eyes; I walk in your truth.” Despite adversity, David did not compromise with the sinful world or the wicked but walked in the word of the Lord. He could have sat with the worthless or walked with the deceitful, but he lived a life of faith above those situations. How was this possible? How could David walk in the truth of the Lord even among false people and in the world? It was because of the Lord’s mercy. In other words, David saw the mercy of God before his eyes even as he examined and refined himself in trials, so he was able to walk in truth. Are we living seeing God’s mercy with the eyes of the spirit?

Last week, while reading the book “Be Decisive” by Pastor Warren Wiersbe, I experienced the kindness (mercy) of God. I felt God’s mercy through the word given to Jeremiah—not only the prophecy itself but also the promise that God would protect His servant Jeremiah until that prophecy was fulfilled. Applying this to myself, I found great comfort and strength in the assurance that God will protect me until the day He fulfills His promised word to our church in Matthew 16:18 (“...and on this rock I will build my church”). Because David saw the mercy of God before his eyes, he was able to walk in the truth of the Lord without compromising with the vain and deceitful. We can also think of this from the opposite perspective: the reason why sometimes we fail to walk in the truth and instead compromise during adversity is because we do not see God’s mercy before our eyes. Without this spiritual experience of seeing His love with the eyes of the spirit, if we only focus with our natural eyes on the hardships we face, we inevitably cannot walk in the truth and end up compromising.

The life of David, who walked in the truth of the Lord by the mercy of the Lord, can be described in three ways:

1. David did not associate with those who did not walk according to the truth.

David did not walk with them. He hated the assembly of evildoers (verses 4-5). Here, “vain people” refers to those who do not walk according to the truth of God (Park Yun-sun). David, who walked in the truth, did not follow the attention of those who did not walk according to God’s truth (Park Yun-sun). The “deceitful” refers to those “covered ones,” meaning the most wicked who outwardly appear the most righteous (Park Yun-sun). Those who walk in the truth can distinguish these deceitful people. They can discern those who appear good outwardly but are false and evil in content. Furthermore, David hated gatherings of evildoers assembled to do evil, and he did not associate with the wicked—those who are “senseless,” “morally unstable,” “indulgent,” and “acting arbitrarily.”

2. David lived a pure life and had fellowship with God.

See Psalm 26:6: “I will wash my hands in innocence, and go about Your altar, O LORD.” This refers to the fact that priests washed their hands before beginning service at the altar (Exodus 40; Deuteronomy 21:6-7, 30-33). David purified his daily life before coming to God in fellowship (Park Yun-sun). It is similar to living a pure life during the week and then coming up to the Lord’s temple on Sunday for fellowship with God.

3. David gave thanks to God and testified of the works God had done.

See Psalm 26:7: “I will proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works.” Giving thanks to God for what He has done is a personal responsibility that the believer must fulfill (Park Yun-sun). But David went further and testified to others of what God had done in his life. He fulfilled the responsibility of an evangelist, making others know God and leading them to salvation (Park Yun-sun).

Lastly, thirdly, those who act faithfully love the church.

Look at Psalm 26:8: “Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” This means that David loved “the temple of God, that is, the church.” So, what does one who loves the church where the Lord’s glory dwells do?

1. He hates falsehood.

How could someone who loves the church, built upon the rock of truth, like falsehood? He must hate lies and sin. We must strongly hate those sins so that false wickedness never enters the church. Especially in times of suffering, by examining the depths of our hearts with the Lord’s eyes, we must recognize the sin of hypocrisy within us and repent thoroughly.

2. The sincere person who loves the church does not associate with sinners.

Those who walk in truth do not join with false sinners or listen to them. This is because “their hands are full of evil, and their right hand is full of bribes” (verse 10).

3. The sincere person who loves the church hates the assembly of evildoers.

Those who love the church where God’s glory dwells hate the assemblies of evildoers where God’s glory is absent. This is because God hates such gatherings. God said through the prophet Isaiah:
“Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assemblies. Your new moons and appointed feasts my soul hates; they are a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isaiah 1:13-14).

I remember shedding tears while singing the gospel hymn “As the Waters Cover the Sea.” I miss those tears that flowed as I thought of the day when God’s glory would fill this world. Living in a sinful world where God’s holy name is defiled and our sins obscure His glory, I want to praise God with a repentant heart and a heart longing for His glory. I believe that day will come. I firmly believe that the day will surely come when a world full of God’s glory will offer perfect praise and worship to God in that glory. Until that day comes, living in this sinful world, I want to walk by faith, longing for that glorious place of God. No matter what happens, I will fully trust in God without wavering, will not compromise with falsehood in a false world, will dwell in the truth of the Lord, and pray to love the church, which was purchased by the blood of the Lord, even more.

“I always love my Lord’s kingdom, the temple where He dwells, and the church bought with His blood.
My Lord’s church is like heaven, precious as the apple of His eye, and He always protects it.
For this church, I serve always with tears and prayer until my life ends.
I love the fellowship of the saints, the life of the church, and the covenant made with the Savior.
Heavenly glory and bestowed blessings overflow in Zion forever with the truth.”
(Hymn 246)

While singing Hymn 246, thinking of Victory Presbyterian Church and shedding tears of love, I rely on the Lord who is the head of the church.

Pastor James Kim’s sharing
(with a heart that loves the Lord and the church)