Embrace the Word for Wednesday, February 18, 2026
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Psalm 26 as did Psalm 25, as will Psalm 27 and Psalm 28, starts with the simple superscription, “Of David.” There seems to be a connection or grouping with these four Psalms. Psalm 26 shares many common terms with Psalm 25. Both begin with a declaration of trust in God (25:2; 26:1); both contain a prayer for redemption (25:22; 26:11); both include a prayer for divine grace (25:16; 26:11); both refer to the psalmist’s integrity (25:21; 26:11); both mention the psalmist’s relationship to God’s “truth” (25:5; 26:3); both indicate the significance of the “feet” (25:15; 26:12). Psalm 25 refers to the “path” or “way” of the righteous (25:4, 8, 9, 10, 12), while Psalm 26 refers to the walking in righteousness (26:1, 3, 11). The operative word is “wait” in Psalm 25 (25:3, 5, 21), but it is “walk” in Psalm 26 (26:1, 3, 11). The most significant difference between Psalm 25 and Psalm 26 is that Psalm 26 has no confession of sin. It seems that Psalm 26 is something of a sequel to Psalm 25 in that it comes from a heart in which forgiveness has been freshly experienced.
Psalm 26 opens as with a prayer request (26:1-2), and then closes with a prayer request (26:9-12). In between these two requests (26:3-8), David expresses—both negatively and positively—his resolve as to how he would purpose to live.
David’s opening request is for the LORD to vindicate him: “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering” (26:1). Literally, David wants God to judge him. Not judging in the sense of condemnation, but in the sense of vindication. David asks God to render a judgment that vindicates or clears him of the charges or accusations of men around him, most likely as we have seen before, wicked men. David states two reasons for his vindication. First, David has lived whole-heartedly or blamelessly. Second, David steadily trusted in the LORD. David is not claiming perfection or sinlessness, but he is stating that he has been living consistently before the LORD and is not guilty of whatever smears have been leveled against him. David asks not only for the LORD’s vindication, but also for the LORD to continue purifying him: “Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind” (26:2). David, in a sense, is acknowledging that he still has a ways to go, but that he desires for the LORD to inspect his heart and refine him of all remaining impurities.
After this opening request, David resolutely declares: “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness” (26:3). David has fixed the devoted and durable love of God before his eyes. What David means by such a statement is that he is actively meditating on the covenant love that God has shown to him. Since David’s thoughts are informed and his affections are inflamed by the LORD’s love, David’s will has been inclined to obey the LORD. Notice how David states that he has been faithful: he is walking in the LORD’s faithfulness. David recognizes that every step of faithfulness that he takes, he does so grounded in God’s faithfulness toward him. God’s faithfulness has been sustaining David’s faithfulness.
With a heart enthralled by the LORD’s love and steps empowered by the LORD’s faithfulness, David expresses his resolve to avoid the worldly and the wicked: “I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked” (26:4-5). David would not sit with any whose life is not true to God; nor would he hang around with any who secretly sneak around to pursue evil; nor would he find any delight in evil-oriented gatherings; and nor would he, as he just said, but just to be clear, sit with those who do things displeasing to God. David is not simply stating something about physical proximity in reference to the wicked; David is asserting that he wants nothing to do with neither the interests nor inclinations, neither the preoccupations, nor the pursuits of the wicked. What David is stating is reminiscent of Psalm 1, where the blessed man does not walk, stand, or sit with the wicked (See Psalm 1:1). On this note, David’s comments in verse 3 concerning his eyes being on the LORD’s love and his walk following after the LORD’s faithfulness seem to reflect Psalm 1, where the blessed man delightfully meditates on God’s Word (See Psalm 1:2).
While David resolves to distance himself from the wicked, he resolves to draw near in worship with the righteous: “I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells” (26:6-8). David’s focus on the LORD, leading to a faithfulness to the LORD, compels him to pass on certain company, but it propels him to pursue another company—the company of the righteous who assemble at the LORD’s house. David seeks the cleansing and atoning work that occurs at the altar. The effects of such work ignites David to thank the LORD and express out loud all that the LORD has done for Him. Thus, David loves being in the LORD’s house with the LORD’s people. Such a place is to him a refuge for his soul, and a place for him to realize how gloriously beautiful the LORD truly is. David was repulsed by the thought of gathering with the wicked but he rejoices in the thought of gathering with the righteous. Such is the discrimination of the one who keeps God’s steadfast love in mind and allows God’s faithfulness to order his steps.
After distinguishing his resolve between the wicked and the righteous, wanting to stay away from the one and yet drawing near to the other, David returns to making his requests: “Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.” (26:9-10). David wants to avoid the deeds and the destruction of the wicked. David’s simple request is that he not be swept away with the wicked. David does not want to share the destiny of murdering, scheming, bribing sinners. David did not want to be in the company of the wicked in either life or death. We might be taken back by David’s fear of ending up with the wicked, but Jesus himself suggested such fear: “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (See Luke 12:5). There is a bad and faithless fear that percolates in the fleshly regions of our soul; and there is a good and faith-filled fear that is prompted by the Spirit within us and prods us to turn to God in prayer. A godly fear, which imparts wisdom, can orient us to grasp the consequences of wickedness, and can therefore help us refrain from a wicked way of life.
David is emphatic as he continues his request: “But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD” (26:11-12). David’s plea is for the LORD to graciously redeem him, which reveals David’s understanding that the ultimate outcome to his situation is in God’s hands. David’s plea also reveals that David understands that his walking a life of integrity, which he stated in verse 1 and restates in verse 11, is not self-attained, but a gift from the LORD. But with such a gracious gift, David is filled with resolve that as he has been living with integrity or whole-heartedness before the LORD, he would continue living whole-heartedly toward the LORD. David purposes to continue living a morally stable and righteous life, for he loves gathering with the righteous to bless the LORD.
As we reflect on Psalm 26, we can not only see how Christ exemplified all the ways that this Psalm speaks of whole-heartedness; but we could also consider how we are called to live whole-heartedly before the LORD. Empowered by the grace of Christ, indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, we are being refined, tested, purified, and thus transformed into the image of Christ: "created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Ephesians 4:24). This gracious work of the LORD in the lives of His pardoned people will shape our affections, such as what we like or dislike, approve or disapprove, crave or distaste, and love or hate. As this Psalm reveals proper affections toward the wicked, by the Spirit of Christ within us, our love of the world is being altered: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (See 1 John 2:15). Simultaneously, by the Spirit of Christ, our love for the LORD’s people is also being altered: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (See Hebrews 10:24-25). By the grace of Christ, we can prayerfully resolve: “my foot stands on level ground.”
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Wednesday, February 18, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Friday, February 20, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 27.