Here’s the question: If you read and study one verse the first Sunday of each month, how many months will it take to cover the whole psalm?

(Have you got your ciphering done? If not, please pause a moment before continuing to read.)

Yes! The answer is “12 months.”

And that’s exactly what we’re doing at our congregation. Our minister is preaching one sermon a month from this psalm. We covered Verse 2 this past Sunday.

But there’s still time to join in if you want to. (If you’ve read this column very much, you know I like to figure out how long it will take to read a certain amount of scripture. So this assignment was made to order – and designed so that any of us can complete it easily.)

Let me catch you up with the first two verses.

Verse 1: “Vindicate me, Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.”

The literal word for “vindicate” there is “judge.”

That word may make us uneasy, but the truth is, most of us want a judge – just not an unfair one. We want our motives understood, our efforts seen, our hearts known. Scripture tells us that Christ is the righteous Judge, one who knows our strengths and our weaknesses.

Through him, we are given a Paraclete – in New Testament Greek, literally one who comes alongside to help. Judgment, in this sense, is not about condemnation, but direction. The Judge determines not only the verdict, but the direction of our future.

This, in turn, leads naturally to integrity – because when nothing is hidden, honesty becomes unavoidable. Psalm 26 assumes honesty, not only with God but with ourselves. That may be the hardest part. It’s far easier to confess in general terms than to admit specifics. Yet integrity isn’t perfection; it’s alignment. With God’s help, we learn to walk more steadily in his steps, even when our footing feels uncertain.

Woven through it all is trust. Trust is the hinge that holds judgment and integrity together. Without it, we either hide or harden. With it, we stand.

Verse 2 takes the prayer even further: “Examine me, Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart.”

At first glance, that sounds like a dangerous request. We’re far more comfortable saying, “Don’t judge me,” especially when we suspect our actions won’t hold up well in the light. Sometimes that phrase is a shield for poor choices; sometimes it’s born from the belief that no one truly understands our lives.

But scripture insists that God understands us better than we understand ourselves. We don’t actually want strict justice. We want mercy. And mercy is found not by running from God, but by drawing near.

To ask God for examination is to invite revelation, including our blind spots. It’s a prayer that opens us to self-discovery guided by the only One fully qualified to do the examining. Scripture elsewhere likens this process to refining metal: impurities brought to the surface so they can be removed. It’s ongoing, sometimes uncomfortable and always purposeful. Sanctification isn’t a one-time event; it’s a lifelong shaping.

Then there are what we might call the “pop tests” of life. Sudden trials. Unexpected conversations. Moments when our faith is quietly but firmly examined. But tests don’t exist to trip us up. They reveal what we know, what we value and what still needs strengthening. They help us recognize what truly matters – and prepare us not to panic when the next test comes.

So Psalm 26:2 can be our guide light for February: a steady prayer for clarity, courage and trust. Not a plea to escape examination, but an invitation to be shaped by it.

At the start of the year, this looked like simple math: 12 months, 12 verses. By February, we’re learning otherwise. A single verse can take far longer than a month to live out – especially when it draws us nearer to the One who knows us best.

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Sallie Rose Hollis lives in Ruston and retired from Louisiana Tech as an associate professor of journalism and the assistant director of the News Bureau. She can be contacted at sallierose@mail.com.

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