Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

Psalms: 26:1: Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.

Can we be bold enough to ask the Lord to look into our lives to judge us that is to pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or to punish us; by extension, to govern or to litigate us or maybe to execute judgment or to rule us that is what judge me mean from the word, shaphat or shaw-fat’. David was open to the Father by being transparent that he has nothing to hide! Judge me oh Lord for me or against me… Wow! That is a bold statement to make before the Lord. Either God will defend you and support you or He will punish you and rebuke you. I rather for God to govern my life than to litigate and to prosecute my life to death or sent to hell for all eternity. That is why it is written if God is for us who can be against us, Romans 8:1 we are safe in Him. David was serious about the Lord seeing his life as an open book to walk in integrity before Him and man. How serious are you about your life before God? Can you live your life as an open book or can you be transparent before God. That is not saying that everyone in the world has to know all of your business but one thing you cannot do is to fool God by pretending to be something you are not, that is a man or woman of integrity! In-spite of David’s mistakes in life and all of the sins he has committed; he was honest before God a man after his own heart, Acts 13:22, 1Samuel 13:14! You have to totally trust in God regardless of your situation or problems in life and not to take matters in your own hands but to leave them in Gods hand because He will work them out. That is not to say you will not make decisions to try to solve them but make your decisions according to Gods will. Any decision you make should not cause you to slide! David was saying from the original word ma` ad or maw-ad' is to waver:--make to shake, slide or slip. By totally putting all of your trust in the Lord you will not waver in thought or in deed. It is like what is written in Hebrews: 10:23: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;) therefore, all His promises are true and reliable, we just have to trust in Him. Today my friend, trust God and live a life of transparency before Him while walking in integrity, you will not slip or waver and the Lord will fulfill all of His promises in your life, believe and have faith my friend and He will fulfill them in Jesus Name…

James Jr. Hairston