Thursday, July 19

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

"The one whose walk is blameless,

    who does what is righteous,

    who speaks the truth from their heart;

whose tongue utters no slander,

    who does no wrong to a neighbor,

    and casts no slur on others;

who despises a vile person

    but honors those who fear the Lord;

who keeps an oath even when it hurts,

    and does not change their mind;

who lends money to the poor without interest;

    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (Psalm 15:2-5)

These verse speak to the traits of a person that God esteems.  These characteristics tie closely to God's own character of faithfulness and lovingkindness.

Walking blamelessly and living righteously require a serious concern for God's law and His reputation.  We tend to reflect our attitudes about God, ourselves, and others in our actions and decisions.  If we do not put God first, we will soon put place ourselves as the center of our decisions and thoughts.

In addition, this person "speaks the truth from their heart" and "utters no slander... and cast no slur on others."  This person takes care to avoid falsehood and to honor his word and God's.  While we use our speech to influence others, these verses imply that our speech should have an orientation towards honoring others.  Otherwise, we will have fallen short of God's standard, damaging our relationships along the way.

This individual also avoid the entrapment of evil and honors God's people.  His company reflects his desire to live faithfully.

He stays true to his promises, even when they become onerous.  He stays firm in attitude and heart, supported ostensibly by the solid foundation of God's Word.

Finally, he handles financial matters without prejudice towards other.  He doesn't use his material resources to take advantage of others.

May we each trust God and live in a fitting way to honor Him and others.

Lord God, thank You for the clear teaching of Your word regarding the type of conduct that honors You.  Guide us to understand and apply these precepts in our daily lives.  Change us from the inside out so that we will hunger for Your Word and point others towards You.  In Jesus's Name, amen.