Wordy Wednesday!

Theme Declaring loyalty to God. If we are genuinely commited to God, we can stand up to the opposition and examination.
Author David, possibly written during the days of Absolom's rebellion

Psalm 26 of David.
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the Lord
without wavering.
2 Test me, O Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;
3 for your love is ever before me,
and I walk continually in Your truth.
4 I do not sit with deceitful men,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your alter, O Lord,
7 proclaiming aloud your praise
and telling of all Your wonderful deeds.
8 I love the house where You live, O Lord,
the place where Your glory dwells.

9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I lead a blameless life;
redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground;
in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.

* Now initially when I read this, I was a little unsure what to think about David claiming to lead a blameless life. Was he being self righteous or even worse trying to decieve the Lord? Because, for real, no one is "blameless." And then the verses about not sitting with hypocrites or deceitful men was troubling because I have friends who are unsaved and I pray that while being their friend and enjoying spending time together they will see Jesus shining through me and that they would know by my actions and heart why I am different and hopefully want it for themselves. But when I looked into the notes at the bottom of the page, I found some excellent insights.
26:1-3 In asking God to declare him "blameless," David was not claiming to be sinless- that is impossible for any human being to achieve. Instead, he was pleading with God to clear his name of the false charges made against him by his enemies. We also can ask God to examine us, trusting Him to forgive our sins and clear our record according to His mercy.
26:4-5 Should we stay away from unbelievers? No.Although Christians should avoid some places, Jesus demonstrated that we must go among unbelievers to help them. There is a difference, however between being with unbelievers and being one of them. Acting like unbelievers harms our witness for God.
Ask about the people you enjoy: If you are with them often, will you become less obedient to God in outlook or action?
If the answer is yes, carefully monitor how you spend your time with these people and their affect on you.
26:12 Too often we complain about our problems to anyone who will listen and praise God only in private. Instead, we ought to complain privately and praise God publicly.