A Heart Laid Bare: Walking In An Even Place Series

Introduction: The Audacity of an Open Heart

Brothers and sisters, in an age where we carefully curate our lives for all to see, where we post our highlights and hide our struggles, the prayer of David in Psalm 26 is startling. It is bold. It is almost audacious.

He doesn't begin with a quiet request. He begins with a demand for justice, a plea for divine inspection. Look at verse 1:

> 1 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.

Imagine standing before the throne of the Almighty God and saying, “Judge me.” Most of us would shrink from such a thought. We are all too aware of our own failings, our secret sins, our compromises. We would rather plead for mercy than demand judgment.

But David is not being arrogant here. He is laying his heart bare before God, confident not in his own perfection, but in the direction of his life and the object of his trust. This Psalm is a blueprint for a life of integrity—a life that can stand firm because it is built on the rock of the Lord.

Today, we will walk through this Psalm and discover three pillars of a life that pleases God:

1. A Plea for Examination

2. A Practice of Separation

3. A Promise of Stability

---

I. The Plea for Examination (v. 1–3)

David begins by inviting God’s intense scrutiny. This is not the prayer of a self-righteous man, but of a man who desperately wants to be right with God.

He says in verse 2:

> 2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

The word “examine” is like assaying metal—testing for purity. “Prove me” means to put him to the test. And to “try my reins and my heart” is a plea for God to search the deepest, most hidden parts of his being. In ancient Hebrew thought:

the reins (kidneys) were the seat of emotions and affections,

the heart was the seat of mind and will.

David is saying, “Lord, test my feelings, my thoughts, my intentions. I want to be genuine through and through.”

What gives him the boldness to pray such a dangerous prayer? He tells us in verse 3:

> 3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

Here is the secret: David’s integrity is not fueled by his own willpower—it is fueled by his constant focus on God’s lovingkindness (hesed). That vision of God’s steadfast love motivates him to walk in God’s truth.

The first step to a life of integrity is to invite God to search us—not to condemn us, but to cleanse us.

---

II. The Practice of Separation (v. 4–8)

A heart examined by God will inevitably lead to a life separated for God. Integrity is not just internal—it has visible consequences. It shapes our associations and our affections.

David says:

> 4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

This is not a call to arrogance or to look down on others. It is a declaration of intentionality. David understood that fellowship shapes us. To “sit with” someone suggests companionship, influence, and agreement.

He refuses the company of:

vain persons,

dissemblers,

evildoers,

the wicked.

Why? Because he longs for a different fellowship—a fellowship centered on God.

His separation from the wicked leads directly to worship:

> 6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

A life of integrity chooses its company not out of pride, but out of love for God’s presence. You cannot love the habitation of God’s house if you are more comfortable in the congregation of the wicked.

---

III. The Promise of Stability (v. 9–12)

This life of examined integrity and holy separation produces stability in a chaotic world.

David prays:

> 9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

Then comes the pivot from his walk to God’s grace:

> 11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

Here David reveals genuine humility. Even after declaring his integrity, he does not trust in it for salvation. He leans entirely on God’s redemption and mercy. His integrity is evidence of his relationship with God—not the basis for it.