Psalm 26 begins with, “Judge me, O Lord…” What a stunning request! It is so scary that I initially just stopped reading at the first verse. I am not eager to face God’s judgment because the outcome of this “trial” has the eternal consequences of heaven or hell. So Lord, if you don’t mind, let’s just skip this judgment stuff. I don’t want “to go there”. Why not? Because even though the world may think I am a pretty good guy since I have not killed anyone nor robbed any banks, I know deep down that I am a sinner. I remember at least a few of the infinite number of things I should not have done, and not doing the things that I should have done. 
Let’s imagine that my trial before God is occurring in a courtroom of today. Although every jury would be sympathetic to me because they are in the same boat, my trial will be a “bench trial”. No jury, just Judge God, and He is no pushover. My trial would begin with a list of charges against me. That list would have an almost infinite number of counts; it would take forever to read. The prosecutor would then present the evidence behind each charge. Finally, it would be my turn to provide a defense…why should I be found innocent of all these charges? But what could I offer as a defense? That everyone else does what I am being charged with? God, you know all about original sin; I couldn’t help it? Actually God, don’t you think I am a pretty good guy? Unfortunately, all of these are just excuses; they are not a defense for my actions and inactions. So….if my trial before God would be like a trial today, I would be found guilty and sent off to a bad place. End of story.
Thankfully, our trial before God will have a very unusual twist that does not occur in today’s courtrooms. Someone says to the judge, “Yes, this guy is guilty of everything, but place all of his sins on me. I will take the punishment that he deserves”. Though his sins are as bright as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool [paraphrase of Is. 1:18]. What??? This is unheard of??? Who is this person who could and would do such a great thing for a miserable sinner like me? Only Jesus, of course. Only God’s son could come to Earth as a baby, live a sinless life but then die on the cross to accept the punishment that we, not He, deserve, and then rise from the dead to conquer death once and for all. In fact, when I get the courage to read the rest of the psalm, David was aware that this would be the outcome because in Verse 11, he states, “Redeem me, and be merciful to me”. And that is exactly what Jesus did for us centuries after David. Jesus has redeemed us.
Stopping at Verse 1 of the Psalm gives a very wrong impression of what will happen on judgment day. We are thankful that God follows His own courtroom practices and not those of today. The season of Lent is a period when we focus on our sins and are especially thankful that Jesus has redeemed us from them. All we need to do is trust in Him as our Savior from sin. Therefore, we no longer face judgment with trembling, not as people who have no hope, but as those who have the sure and certain promise of eternal life in Heaven.
About the Author: Henry Fuelberg is a member of University Lutheran. He is a native of rural southeast Texas–just north of Houston–and is a life long Lutheran. Henry is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has been a professor of meteorology at Florida State for the past 33 years. Prior to FSU he was a professor at Saint Louis University for eight years.