The Backdrop
You know those times in your spiritual walk when you feel so close to God it’s like you can physically touch Him? We call these mountaintop experiences, and for good reason. We feel as if we’re on the top of a mountain, and nothing can shake us! Then, something, well, shakes us. Our enthusiasm wanes. Our commitment fades. Life settles in and zaps our spiritual energy. Before long, the mountaintop experience is forgotten.
It doesn’t have to be that way, and
For this devo, we’re going to step into Psalm 15 phrase-by-phrase. As you read each phrase, you’ll see accompanying comments to help you ingest and apply the Scripture. As you experience the Scripture and comments, feel free to write a journal of your thoughts on Psalm 15—write down action steps you’d like to take or internal adjustments you’d like to make. The entire psalm is an answer to the question posed in verse 1. One more thing: You’ll see along with the comments other verse references that you might want to check out.
The What
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1“LORD, who may dwell in Your sacred tent? Who may live on Your holy mountain?”
Key words here: dwell and live. These do not suggest fleeting moments in the “sacred tent” (God’s presence) or flash-in-the-pan, mountaintop experiences. It’s long-haul enthusiasm. Are you ready for this? Do you want this? If so, write a sentence of commitment and continue reading
2″The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.”
Don’t let the word blameless trip you. You get that from Jesus. He is your blamelessness! However, what are your intentions as you go about your day? Look at the action words in this phrase: walk, do and speak. Are your motives pure in your friendships and dating relationships? Do people get what they see when they look at you? Continue reading
3“whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.”
Ouch. This one can hurt. No slander. No slurs. Does your language lift up people in your life or tear them down? Continue reading
4“who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD.”
Hmmm. Despise seems to be a strong word. Aren’t we supposed to love everyone—including enemies? Yes, we are. The Hebrew word used for despise expresses the idea of disdain, abhorrence and scorn. Don’t lose sight of the word vile. These are some strong words David (the psalmist) is using, but we are to figure out how to despise and love at the same time. Who is our model for doing this? Jesus. These verses will shed light on the subject:
4b “who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind.”
Wow. Even when it hurts. Have you ever scheduled a commitment to something, and something better came along for that same time slot? Keeping that first commitment, even though it might pain you, is what’s right. Read
5“who lends money to the poor without interest.”
The poor are always on God’s mind, whether it’s an interest-free loan or provisions such as food and water. If you’re interested in imitating the mind of God, you must constantly think about the poor, as well as help them. Read
5b“who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.”
This is a no-brainer, but let’s broaden the application a bit. Bribes are shortcuts to ill-gotten gains. Are you willing to take shortcuts for the sake of your own gain, such as cheating on a test or homework? Fudging on a timecard at work? Being cheap on help with gas money? In all of these cases, an innocent bystander (fellow student, employer, friend) is being cheated. Read
5c“Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”
There you have it: will never be shaken. Be one of the whoevers in this verse. Occupy your heart and hands with the to-do list of Psalm 15, and God guarantees your mountaintop experience will last. Read
The So What
The upcoming summer may provide you with opportunities for mountaintop experiences: missions trips, retreats, etc. Make this your summer psalm, a psalm to help your heart sustain the intensity of your mountaintop experiences. One other way to think about dwelling in God’s sacred tent or living on His holy mountain is this: being comfortable with God. When we let ourselves drift from God, it can be uncomfortable to think about being in His presence. So we stay away. The actions of Psalm 15 keep us close to God. If we do these things, God will not seem distant to us.
Enjoy the mountain top.
