Psalm 25

Psalm 25
Of David.
1. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2. in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3. No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

David’s first step was one of personal surrender and trusting his God…

David didn’t just trust the Lord with the words that he said, but he walked a faith that trusted God with everything. This would include his needs, his desires, his future, his ego, his shame, his vengeance, his opinions, his very life. David truly put his hope in God’s hands. Will you?

4. Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
5. guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

David realized that if he was going to put his hope in his God, he must also look to the Lord and find His guidance…

What is your source of light along this treacherously dark road we call life? The Lord will always give us guidance, and all we need to do is to simply rest in His loving hands. The funny thing is that some of us have been living in the dark for so long that the light not only brings fear, and unfamiliarity, but it actually brings pain. If you would just allow the light of God’s word to begin cutting through the darkness, you will never have to be scared of the dark again. His light is warmth and full of promise.

6. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

God’s love is not a new, man-made idea, but was present before time was made…

God knows every sin that will be committed and every bad habit that has pointed you down the wrong paths. However, our God is not only good, loving, faithful and compassionate; but He is also forgiving, and longs to have relationship with you. In Genesis, it says that God used to walk with Adam and Eve and enjoy their company. Believe it or not, Jesus came to this earth to make it possible for us to walk with our God once more.

12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

What is this fear that we speak of?

I read this scripture to my son, Adam, the other day and asked him what he thought it meant. He started talking about respect and how it is not about being scared, but it is about caring what God thinks. I asked him if he feared me as his father and he said, “Yes!” I think we came to the realization that respect, love, and godly fear all flow out of the understanding of authority. God is our loving father, but He is also just and true.

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.

Where are your eyes focused--on the snare, or on the one who can set you free?

No matter how many enemies were after David or what traps he found himself stuck in, David’s eyes were always looking for the Lord. This is a great reminder to me as we face life’s circumstances and difficult situations. I can choose to stare at them and make up stories about how bad they are and havoc that they will cause in my life, or I can look to the Lord and focus on His story. The Lord’s story for you and I is one of freedom, joy and, at times, even laughter.

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

David surrendered everything but still understood his responsibility of integrity and uprightness…

There are very few things that we are in control of in this life. But here at the end of this wonderful Psalm to the Lord, David lists two of them--integrity and uprightness. What do these two words mean to you? To me, they mean that, no matter what the circumstances look like, how much money is or is not in my checking account, what decisions people that surround me choose or do not choose to do, and what kind of pain I am feeling, I will honor the Lord with my actions, my speech, and my attitude. For this to be true integrity, it must take place no matter who is watching. Integrity and uprightness must always be for the audience of our Lord and our Lord alone.