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. Psalm 26:11-12

Devotion

Recently, a friend of mine unexpectedly lost his mother. Having only met her once, I didn’t know much about her other than she was a strong woman of faith. Shortly after her passing, I went to spend some time with my friend. He was back in his hometown where his mother had raised him, and the location of her final resting place on Earth. When visiting, I heard story after story about her from several of her friends. She faithfully served anywhere she could. Many kind words and phrases were used to describe her, but one word in particular stuck with me: integrity. 

Isn’t that great? I would love to be known as a person of integrity. That should serve as a benchmark for Christ-followers. Psalm 26:11 and 12 illustrates a tremendous “goal” for Christians: to walk in integrity, to have the confidence of knowing our feet stand on level ground, and to bless the Lord because of it. Integrity encompasses many things: authenticity, purity, holiness, faithfulness, sincerity, etc. To sum it up, walking with integrity means walking authentically with God and living lives that reflect his words. It means being characterized by purity and holiness. It means being people who are faithful and true.

Psalm 26:11 highlights the importance of integrity because the kind of integrity David is talking about is not possible by our own merit. We are prone to be unfaithful in all sorts of ways. So how do we grow in integrity? By the redeeming grace of God. David says, “redeem me and be gracious to me.” So let’s pray, “God I want to be a person of integrity today. I want my life to reflect the character of Christ. I want to be faithful and I want to be true. I want to live an authentic life, filled with actions and not just words.”

Take a look at Psalm 26. Integrity is more than just being honest. It’s a way of life that aligns our inner convictions with our outward actions. It's choosing what is right even when it's hard. David isn't claiming to be without sin, but he is being sincere. His life is open before God. He says in verse 2, "Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” That’s not the language of someone pretending to be perfect; it's the posture of someone who wants to be real. David acknowledges the temptations and corruptions around him—those who are “worthless” and “bloodthirsty” (vv. 4–5). Yet he makes a conscious decision not to sit with them (v. 4).

Integrity sometimes means walking away—from gossip, compromise, shortcuts, or relationships that slowly erode our character. But integrity isn’t just about what we avoid; it’s also about what we pursue. In verse 8, David declares, “O Lord, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells.” When we love the presence of God more than the approval of people, we begin to walk in true integrity. 

The good news is we don’t have to be perfect to walk in integrity! We just have to walk honestly—with hearts turned toward God, willing to be shaped, corrected, and cleansed (v. 11). When we do that, we can say with David, “My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.”

Many people shared eulogies about my friend's mother, many of which highlighted her integrity and her faithfulness as a servant of Christ in her community. I once heard a pastor say, “We spend most of our lives building a resume and not building a eulogy.” What would it look like to build a eulogy? Walking in integrity is a great start. 

PRAYER

God, search my heart. I want my life to reflect the character of Christ. I need Christ in me in order to walk with integrity. Redeem me, save me from myself, be gracious to me. I want to care about what you care about. Help me love what you love and stand firm in your truth, even when it’s costly. May my life be a testament of your grace and faithfulness. Amen.

Cullen Jones
Social Media Manager 

Resources

• Listen to "Cause I Said So” – Integrity in Word and Action (James 1:19-27) from the Dad’s Roundtable podcast.
• Listen to Week 7 - 5-Day Bible Reading Plan by Lance Ward.

Read More Devotions

Explore other devotions like this one any time at crossings.church/devotions.