Psalm 15 Devotional

Guests in God's Tent

“A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?”Psalm 15:1 (BSB)

A question worth sitting with opens this psalm: who may live in the LORD's tent and stay on his holy mountain (15:1)? The answer is not a ritual but a life. The person who dwells with God walks with integrity and speaks truth from the heart (15:2). He does not slander or harm his neighbor (15:3). He keeps his word even when it costs him, lends without charging interest, and will not take payment to harm the innocent (15:4-5).

Read honestly, this portrait exposes us. Our words are not always true, and our promises bend when they become expensive. The psalm does not lower the standard, because it reflects the holiness of the God whose home this is. But the rest of Scripture shows the way in. Jesus lived this psalm completely, and through his blood his people have confidence to enter God's presence (Hebrews 10:19-22). The promise at the end, that such a person will never be shaken (15:5), belongs first to Christ and then to all who are found in him.

To think about: Which part of this portrait, honest speech or a costly promise kept, might God be reshaping in you right now?