Integrity

     David revealed both the blessing he experienced, as well as the suffering he went through.  In Ps. 41 the demonic realm was attacking him.  His enemies said, "When will he die, and his name perish?"  The enemy's desire is to kill, steal, and destroy.  David says that if the enemy comes to see him, he speaks lies, and then goes out and tells it.  They whisper against him and devise ways to hurt him.  "An evil disease" they say, "clings to him, and now that he lies down, he will rise up no more."  And above all this, David's own familiar friend in whom he trusted, who are bread together, lifted up his heel against David.  This was most likely Ahithophel, who betrayed David and went to help Saul.  There are times of attack in the Christian life, where we experience what Peter talked about in 1 Peter 5:8, "...your adversary the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  David's answer in Ps. 41:12 is this, "As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever."  Because of the integrity of David's heart, the enemy was not able to get ahold of David.  Integrity upheld and saved David's life.
     The word integrity comes from the word integer, which means a whole number.  To have integrity means to be in a state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.  It is adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, honesty.  It is a heart that stays devoted to God through times of pressure that try to force you to do something out of character.  In Ps. 25:21 David said, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on You."  Integrity will preserve you and keep you.  King Abimelech took Sarah when Abraham journeyed to the south.  The Lord appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and told him, "Indeed you are a dead man..."  But Abimelech thought Sarah was Abraham's sister, and said, "In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."  And the Lord said, "Yes I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart.  For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her."  Though Abimelech did the wrong thing, he was preserved because of the integrity of his heart. 
     "Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity..."  Ps. 26:1.  David was kept and protected by God because he walked in integrity of heart.  Vs. 8, "Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells."  This was David's first love, even during times of temptation and pressure to conform to what the people around him were doing.  He desired for the Lord to examine him, and try his mind and his heart.  Ps. 26:11, "But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me." 
     Satan is out to destroy your integrity.  Job had gone through trials that destroyed everything he had, and finally even his health, as he sat scraping his boils with a piece of potsherd.  His wife had long passed the point of holding onto integrity of heart.  Her words to Job were, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die."  Job 2:9.  The battle was over Job's integrity, and whether he would hold onto God through the loss of everything.  We have heard of the patience of Job, but have you heard of the patience of Job's wife?  Her advice was to curse God and die.  Integrity will preserve you even through the harshest of trials.  Hold onto your integrity!