Weekday Devotion: Psalm 25

A continuing series of Psalm devotions for upcoming Sundays. These are written by Rev. Christopher Antonetti and adapted from The Psalms: A Devotional Commentary by C.M. Zorn.

Psalm 25:1-10

This psalm of David presents a prayer of every Christian’s heart. The Lord we pray to is the God of our salvation. From the foundation of the earth He was concerned with our salvation and “in the fullness of time” sent the Savior, Jesus Christ. We trust in the Lord, that all His plans for us are the steadfast love and mercy for lost sinners, as our Father in Jesus Christ.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
  O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame; 
let not my enemies exult over me.
    Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

We lift up our souls to God, our only confidence, for we have no trust in anyone else. He is our only hope and salvation. We may have many enemies, from the world and the devil himself, and even our own flesh, but they will never cheer in victory over us because God is with us. Those who give in to the enemies, who abandon trust in God and some other will not succeed. They will be ashamed. Yet if we wait on the Lord and trust in Him, and not in ourselves, we will never be ashamed.

   Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
    Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; 
for you I wait all the day long. 

We trust in the Lord, so we cling to His Word and hear what He has to say. He shows us His commandments, the way to live, and also that He sent His Son to die for our sins. For we sin daily and are constantly in need of help. There is not one day we have not broken the commandments. In our weak state, we trust in God for salvation all the more.

    Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
    Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me, 
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! 
 
We are poor, wretched sinners, so we ask the Lord to remember us in His mercy and steadfast love. We ask him to think upon us through the merits of Jesus Christ, who died for us and in whom we are baptized. We ask and trust that He will not remember the sins of the past or the present, but forgive for the sake of Jesus because of His compassion for lost sinners like us. He is faithful, and He will certainly do it!

    Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
   He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
    All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

The Lord is truly good to sinners like us. He instructs and leads us throughout our lives when we cling to His word. Even despite the attacks of enemies without and within, God leads us in His paths of love and faithfulness. He promises never to abandon us, but to be with us always, even to the very end of the world.