Psalm 15: Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? Praying Through The Psalms



Psalm 15: Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?

A very wise woman once gave me some advice that has stuck with me for a long time. When you’re upset with someone, ask yourself 3 questions: Is this helping me? Is this helping the other person? What does God want of me?

In Psalm 15, we see a list of qualities that describe how a Christian ought to live. In a way, it can also serve as a list of questions to ask ourselves to see whether our hearts are in the right place.

1.       Am I blameless and doing what is right? (vs. 2)

2.       Am I speaking the truth, not only with my words, but in my heart? (vs. 2-3)

3.       Am I using my tongue for good, or am I slandering? (vs. 3)

4.       Am I doing evil or harming my neighbour? (vs. 3)

5.       Do I despise evil? (vs. 4)

6.       Am I keeping my oaths, even if it will hurt me to do so? (vs 4)

7.       Am I being a good steward with money and using what God has given me rightly? (not taking bribes or charging interest to my family in Christ) (vs 5)

Psalm 15 makes it clear that to be right with God, you need a right heart. When you love God, you will live in accordance with His will and word. If you want to “dwell on Your [His] holy hill”, in other words, go to His house and be in His presence, you need to check your heart. When your heart is for God and for living rightly, then your actions will make it obvious. We know that, as sinners, we’re incapable of doing any good, but God blesses the believer by giving them His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in and through us, filling us with the desire to love and serve God. We must examine our hearts daily to ensure we are striving to walk blamelessly and do what is right.

It’s easy to get caught up in our emotions and get stuck in a selfish thought pattern. We get angry whenever we perceive wrongdoing against us  and are quick to push for our own wants and desires. The Bible makes it clear that our desire should first be to love God and obey His commands. If your heart is for the LORD, we will make selfless decisions and act in ways that reflect that. John 14:15 tells us, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Paul also shows the connection between a pure heart and the outward actions of actively seeking to live in righteousness and love in 2 Timothy 2:22, which says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” As God’s children, we must seek to do right, not hurt our neighbour, and live as those who despise evil. Sometimes, that means setting aside our own wants and feelings for someone else's good.

The world would have you pursue self-gratification and put yourself before all else, but that directly contradicts God’s commands. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Romans 12:1 commands us to be a living sacrifice and to test our hearts and minds. Paul wrote,

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

A true believer “speaks truth in his heart” (v. 2) and acknowledges that, without God, we cannot live as Psalm 15 describes. Pray then, that the Holy Spirit will work in and through you to be the type of Christian “who does these things” and “will never be moved” (vs 5). Our God is so gracious and merciful that He blesses “those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD” (Psalm 119:1), even though only the gift of His Holy Spirit makes this possible.

Stop and take a moment each day to test your own heart. Ask yourself whether you are a living example of the person Psalm 15 describes, and when you see where you fall short, pray for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit so God may direct your steps. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Praying Through The Psalms

O Lord, my God,

You alone are righteous and good, and there is none like You; there is no one who can even begin to compare with Your perfect holiness. I humbly come before You now, knowing that I am a terrible sinner. You alone are the source of all good, and I praise Your awesome, holy name. Forgive me, O LORD, for my sins are great and my heart is filled with selfishness. Grant me Your Holy Spirit, O God, that I may walk blamelessly in Your sight. Fill my heart with Your truth that I may boldly proclaim Your greatness and be a living witness to You. Help me to use my tongue for good, and do no evil. Fill my heart and soul with a burning desire to live for You; and let me not make oaths lightly, nor break them, even if it causes my own hurt. Help me to love You more and more, and to love my neighbour, as You have commanded. I earnestly seek the forgiveness You have given through Your Son, Jesus Christ; may Your name be ever on my lips.

 

Psalm 15: Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

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