Scripture: Psalm 15.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Psalm 15:1-5 (NLT)

1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.

4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts.

5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

God calls his people to be morally upright, and, in this psalm, he gives us 10 standards to determine how we are doing:

1. Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right;
   
2. Those who speak the truth from sincere hearts;
   
3. Those who refuse to gossip;
   
4. Those who refuse to harm their neighbors;
   
5. Those who refuse to speak evil of their friends;
   
6. Those who despise flagrant sinners;
   
7. Those who honor the faithful followers of the LORD;
   
8. Those who keep their promises even when it hurts;
   
9. Those who lend money without charging interest;
   
10. Those who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent
    

We live among evil people whose standards and morals are eroding. Our standards for living should not come from our evil society but from God. To live a ‘perfect’ life is to be God. Always striving to be more like Jesus and to live our lives according to His will and desire is our assignment, as illustrated in this Psalm. Remember the verse, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matt. 6:33). When we seek after pleasing man, that’s who we will please, not God.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, I thank You this morning for bringing this to my attention, because I feel like way too often I allow other things to enter my life and take priority over the life You have set before me. You have laid out life’s design for me. Please help me to be obedient to that today and every day, so that onlookers will see a replica of Jesus and not the sinful nature of man. It’s You oh Lord that I live for and seek to example each day. Please grant me the peace, power and effectiveness to do just that.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
ß