And Does Not Take Back His Word

And Does Not Take Back His Word

“…he has sworn to do no wrong, and does not take back his word.”
— From Psalm 15

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Psalm 15 asks: Who may dwell in the Lord’s tabernacle? Or, who lives close to God—not just in ritual, but in reality?

Verse 4 gives part of the answer:

The one who keeps their word, even when it hurts.
The one who chooses integrity, even when no one notices—or worse, when they do.

That’s harder than it sounds.

In a past role I held, I was asked—ordered, really—to make a hiring decision that went against both my judgment and the stated values of the program I led. It wasn’t a matter of taste or preference. It involved issues of competence, diversity, and legal clarity.

When I raised concerns, I was assured by peers that they had my back. But when the pressure came, they quietly disappeared. They kept their jobs. I lost mine.

Later, even people close to me—trusted voices—said things like:

“You probably should have just done what you were told.”
“I lost confidence in you when you lost your position.”

That’s the world we live in. And it’s why Psalm 15 still matters.

Because doing the right thing won’t always protect you. It won’t always feel heroic. Sometimes, it will look like failure.

But the Psalm doesn’t say: “Those who win shall dwell with God.”
It says: “Those who swear to do no wrong, and do not take it back.”

It says the one who stays true—who doesn’t betray conscience just to survive—shall never be overthrown.

Sometimes the right thing is a lose-lose. Say “yes” and violate your principles. Say “no” and lose your career.

And yet—there is a third path: The path of keeping your word before God, even when everyone else walks away.

Our culture doesn’t honor that anymore.
But The Kingdom of Heaven does.

So if you’ve made the hard call, and lost something for it— A job. A reputation. A friendship. Know this: you are not forgotten.

You may not be trending. But you are known. You may feel isolated. But you are not alone. God sees. And He calls that kind of person—the one who doesn’t take back their word—fit to dwell on His holy hill.