There Is Hope for Us – Psalm 15

A text – Psalm 15

¹ O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

² Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right and speak the truth from their heart;
³ who do not slander with their tongue and do no evil to their friends nor heap shame upon their neighbors;
⁴ in whose eyes the wicked are despised but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
⁵ who do not lend money at interest and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

A reflection:

We could read this psalm and then proudly refuse entrance to our churches to anyone who has ever been blameworthy, has lied, has slandered or wronged a friend or shamed a neighbor, who has admired a wicked person, who has disregarded God, broken promises, lent money at interest, or taken a bribe to let an innocent person be punished.

Some of that is pretty specific, isn’t it. But look how general the rest is – lying? Saying something that shames a neighbor? Admiring someone who gets away with something wicked? My friends, this is all of us. David, the psalmist, included.

The psalm, some scholars put it, is not meant to be prescriptive, setting the boundaries of acceptable behavior high, and thus excluding just about everyone. It describes instead the bulk of the life of someone who has chosen to abide in the Lord’s tent, someone who has dwelt on the holy hill. When you abide in the Lord and seek the Lord’s presence, you do behave better. You stop before telling most lies, you stop before saying something that shames another. Good behavior is the result of a relationship with God, not a precondition to a relationship with God. Though we are all sinners who come to the house of God, we actually aspire to do better. When God’s love is poured out upon us, we are much more apt to love one another.

Let’s read it again and acknowledge that being in God’s presence with one another gets us closer to fitting the description the psalmist offers. And isn’t it wonderful to think there’s hope for us?

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for abiding with us and giving us hope to be better people. Help us to remember to spend time with you daily so that some of this good behavior rubs off on us. We need the hope! Amen.