The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. - Psalm 18:24-26
God's Way. He Calls Us Faithful, so that We Will be Faithful. As I read this scripture I found something quite interesting. The writer says, God has rewarded me according to my righteousness. Doesn't that sound strange? What righteousness did the psalmist have? Better yet, what righteousness can we claim?
What is important for us to understand is the psalmist is not claiming his "own" righteousness but what has been imparted to him by God. When we belong to God we have been given his righteousness and because of it, he calls us faithful. That is because he now views us through his son and not through our sins.
God changed what we look like so therefore he expects us to start looking the way he wants. Another way to say that is, if he gave us his faithfulness, shouldn't we be able to exhibit that which we have? If I am righteous, I should live, act, and be as he has changed me to be.
God shows himself to us according to how we present ourselves. How foolish it is to have been changed to one that is faithful, blameless and pure and then present yourself as one that is unworthy because then you will see the shrewd side of God. The question then is, how do you present yourself unworthy? When God has given you the opportunity to be changed and you refuse to accept it or to turn away from what he has given you, then you no longer appear as one that is worthy.
Today I pray for us to walk in that which God has given us. He has given us his righteousness, his faithfulness and his purity so that we can stand as one that is righteous, faithful and pure. Help us to do things your way.
