“But as for me I shall walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be gracious to me.”
– Psalm 26:11
This Verse Outlines Humility in Our Lives
We saw in Psalm 25 the importance of humility. Now in Psalm chapter 26 the importance of integrity. This authenticity, holiness, purity, faithfulness. The great word integrity, it really sums up all these other things that we are authentically walking with God. Pursuing him. That our lives match our words. That there is purity and holiness that characterizes us. That we are faithful and true people. I long for all of those things in my life, and I’m guessing you do as well. And see the relationship here between that kind of walking integrity, and the redemption and the grace of God.
How do we grow in integrity? By the redeeming grace of God. We need Christ to help make us people of integrity.
Psalm 26:11 Highlights the Importance of Integrity
Because that kind of integrity is not possible in and of ourselves. We are not whole people, holy people. Faithful, true, people … Authentic people in and of ourselves. We are sinful people. We are prone to be unfaithful in all sorts of ways. And, we are prone to deceive. We’re prone to not walk in holiness. So, how do we grow in integrity? By the redeeming grace of God, Psalm 26 verse 11 says, “As for me, I shall walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be gracious to me.” So we pray, oh God we want to be men and women, students, children of integrity today. We want our lives to reflect ultimately the character of Christ. We want to be faithful people, we want to be true. People with our words and our actions. We don’t want to be hypocritical. We want to be authentic, real.
Psalm 26:11 Paints a Picture of Christ’s Integrity
God, we want to be holy. We want our lives to reflect the character of Christ in all these ways. So help us, we pray. By your grace, we can’t do this on our own. God, I don’t have integrity in and of myself. I need Christ in me to make me a man of integrity. I pray for that same reality. In men, and women, student, children’s lives are listening to this. God, please help us we pray. Redeem us. Save us from ourselves. Be gracious to us. Empower us to live the whole truth. Faithful, holy, pure, authentic life that you’ve called us to, and that we desire. Redeem us, and be gracious to us, that we might walk in integrity today, in our lives, in our families, in our work, in the church, in everything we do. God, we pray for integrity. In Jesus name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
