O Lord, who may dwell
On Your holy hill,
In Your sanctuary,
In Your perfect will?
He who walks blameless,
Who does what is right,
Whose tongue speaks the truth,
His words give delight.
He does no one wrong.
He casts out no slur.
He abhors vile men,
But honors the pure.
Those who fear the Lord
And who keep their vow
Even when it hurts,
They overcome somehow.
They lend their money
Without any gain.
They accept no bribes
And never complain.
He who does these things
Will not be shaken,
Will have God’s power–
Never forsaken.
(Based on Psalm 15)
I am reading through the Book of Psalms and also listening to the audio on my morning walks. I am learning about wisdom, faith, joy, prayer, hope, and much more. Psalm 15 describes moral integrity and the character of God’s followers. How do we stand up to the qualities of practical righteousness?
Verse 1 asks the ultimate question. “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” The rest of the chapter gives the answers.
- Verse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart” (Integrity)
- Verse 3: “He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend” (Love for Neighbor)
- Verse 4: “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Loyalty)
- Verse 5: “He who does not put up his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.” (Financial Fairness)
- The Reward: “He who does these things shall never be moved.” (Secure forever)
The key qualities of Godly character are honesty and truth, kindness to others, reliability, and fairness. Always do what is right.
