Held Before Holy 🙌🏼
What Psalms 26 Teaches Us About Why Love Must Come Before Obedience
“For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.”
— Psalm 26:3 (NLT)
This morning, I struggled to read.
Not because I was tired, but because I was sad. Yesterday, I didn’t discipline my daughter well.
If you're a parent, you know the feeling—that heartache of regret, and hopefully that internal question: Why did I say it like that?
And while one of my greatest strengths as a father is that I ask for forgiveness quickly, the heaviness still lingered. I started to wonder:
Is this the combat I experienced overseas?
Was it how I was raised?
Is something broken in me?
And then Psalm 26 pulled me in.
God reminded me of something more profound.
Why Do We Feel the Weight?
Yes, our past shapes us. And yes, we must be honest with our spouses, community, and God about those patterns.
But the reason I felt that deep ache wasn’t just my upbringing or combat.
It was because I know the love of the Father.
And when you know that love — when you’ve tasted that unfailing kindness — your failures hit differently.
You’re not crushed by guilt, but you’re pierced by grief born from intimacy. That’s what David felt in Psalm 26.
David’s Cry: Examined, Not Exempt
David isn’t asking to be excused. He’s asking to be examined.
“Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and mind.” (v.2)
But catch this — David isn’t pleading because he’s perfect. He’s not resting in his title as king or his status as a worshiper. He’s resting in one truth:
He knows the love of the Father.
The original audience would have heard that loud and clear. When David says “your unfailing love,” he uses the Hebrew word ḥesed — a rich, covenantal word describing God’s loyal, never-giving-up, mercy-soaked love.
And when he says “truth,” it’s the Hebrew ’emet — meaning reliability, faithfulness, and moral uprightness. This wasn’t theoretical theology. It was the foundation of their identity as God's people.
The Link Between Love and Truth
David knew what we often forget:
You cannot walk in truth until you are rooted in love.
And you cannot be rooted in love unless you spend time with the One who loves you.
We live in a world overrun by noise, speed, and distraction.
We scroll more than we sit still.
We work more than we worship.
As a result, many of us aren’t aware of His love — not because it’s absent, but because we never slow down long enough to notice it.
A Picture to Remember
Imagine a nine-year-old child saying, “I’m moving out,” and then forgetting their parents even existed.
Years pass. No birthdays. No hugs. No meals together.
Would that child truly know how loved they were?
Of course not. Because love is revealed through presence. And presence is only felt when we make space to receive it.
What Made David a Man After God’s Heart
David’s life wasn’t sinless and perfect. But it was anchored.
He made space to sit with God, to live in covenant love, and to know the character of the One who disciplines and guides.
That’s why he could say, “Test me.”
He wasn’t confident in himself — he was confident in the heart of the One testing him.
Where We Get It Wrong Today
So many try to live holy without being held.
Then try behavior modification without intimacy.
We strive like firstborn perfectionists — performing for love instead of from it.
And we all know how that turns out:
Shallow relationships. Crushing pressure. Quiet rebellion.
When you’re unaware of God’s love, His truth feels like a threat.
But when you’re immersed in His love, His truth feels safe — even beautiful.
Like a child who knows their parent is both just and tender, their discipline doesn’t drive you away, it draws you in.
Never Finished Challenge: Slow Down
So what’s the remedy?
Turn it off.
Open the Book.
Get quiet.
Be Held
This generation doesn’t need more productivity hacks, friends, or diets. It needs more stillness and to be held by a Father who sees, knows, and loves us.
The Real Reason Jesus Died
Jesus didn’t die just to “get you into heaven.”
He died to bring you into relationship — real, daily, intimate relationship — with the King of Kings.
And in that relationship, you’ll discover what David did:
Unfailing love is the foundation.
Truth is the path.
And both are found in God's presence.
What Today Tells Me About God
Some mornings, when I sit in my blue chair and open the pages of His Word, I’m a scattered brain mess.
But His Word? It steadies me.
His worship? Directs my thoughts.
And as my heart opens up again, I remember:
He always greets me the same way —
With open arms, a soothing voice, and a posture of understanding.
A whisper of truth. A gentle guide.
Thank You, God, for your ḥesed love to me.
What a King.
What a Friend.
What a Father.
Thank You, Jesus.
Oh wow! I was most tired too. Thank you, Frank. And l glory to God!