The Psalmist in Psalm 26 asks for a personal examination to be vindicated. He claims to have “walked in my integrity”, “walked in Your truth.” Conversely, he has not slipped, has not “sat with idolatrous mortals”, nor gone “in with hypocrites.”
He recognized that the Lord’s “lovingkindness is before my eyes” and he was eager to “tell of all Your wondrous works” having loved “the place where Your glory dwells.” He prayed that God might, “Redeem me and be merciful to me” (Psalm 26:1-12).
In a more prosaic way, Paul also proclaimed that vindication comes only from the Lord. He wrote, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Simply put, it doesn’t matter what others think, or even what we think. We need only to know that our God will examine and vindicate us! It is a good thing that the one who will judge us wants our salvation! “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
We need not worry about a capricious God. He loves us, and will treat us with mercy.