Lead Me in the Way Everlasting

2015-10-25

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)

It has been said that integrity is who you are when no one is looking. This is well said. When David wrote this, he invited the LORD to look into His own heart and expose sin. This is a daring request. David was not satisfied with the appearance of godliness; he wanted to be truly godly, even when no one was looking. At the beginning of the psalm, we read:

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. (Psalms 139:1-6)

Part of integrity is believing that God is the eternal Creator who transcends His creation. He knows all things. He knows what we think, do, and say, and when. Embracing this is a part of integrity before God.

Consider Job’s situation:

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3)

Job still trusted in God despite all of his issues. As we see the book unfold, we know that Job was very angry and wanted to defend himself before God face to face. We know that since God is ultimately in control, when things go terribly wrong we want to ask God “why.” Nonetheless we still trust God because ultimately He has our best interest at heart, and belong to Him.

Because we have our integrity before God, we also must have integrity with others.

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD. (Zechariah 8:16-17)

The context is God commanding the restored nations of Judah and Israel (yet future), but He speaks to us also here. God tells us to be transparent with others. On the contrary, God hates even thinking evil against another person! We are to be a blessing to others, and always speak the truth in love. Let us read what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (Matthew 5:21-24)

Reconciliation with others, both forgiving and being forgiven, is a prerequisite to having fellowship with God. God takes our relationship with others seriously, “for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20).