Even If It Hurts
“(1) LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? (2) He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart (3) and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, (4) who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts…” Psalm 15:1-4
In this Psalm, the Lord asks and answers the question of who will dwell with Him in His holy place. Among the answers, we find one which deals with integrity. It is the one who keeps his oath even when it hurts.
There was a man who made deal to sell his horse for $200.00 to a young man who was going to have to raise the money over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, another buyer came along and offered the man $500.00 for the horse in cold cash money. The offer would have been tempting with an extra $300.00 profit, but the man refused to sell the horse to the second buyer, who could not understand the reasoning.
In an instant, the owner of the horse told the fellow, “I told the young man he could have the horse for $200.00 and that’s the way it is going to be.” You see, this man understood God’s principal of “swearing to your own hurt, even if it hurts.”
We must take our words seriously. If we tell someone something, we should follow through with it, even when it hurts. That is God’s way. We must be people of integrity and honesty. If we ever expect to dwell in the presence of God, there is no other way.
In a world where there is so much dishonesty, it is refreshing to find a dweller of the “Holy Hill” of God among the crowd. Let us take our words seriously or not speak them at all. As the Scriptures says, “Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.”
In a world where people struggle to count on something, God’s people must be above all the rest; even if it hurts.