Psalm 25 (NASB)
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; [a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed |
The prayer opens with offering your inner-most self to God. These words help remind you to whom you belong.
It continues with an affirmation of your relationship with God. When you’re unsure about what to do, you can trust God to guide you. |
Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been [b]from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. |
Life is full of choices. The prayer then asks God for insight. You can ask God for insight into the unique problems you face during your day. There are many ways God can give you the answer. You might get understanding by reading the Bible and seeing scripture in a new light. Or you might hear advice from members of your Christian community that changes your way of thinking. Or God might give you insight directly in your time of prayer. All these are ways that God leads you in truth,
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8 Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the [c]humble in justice, And He teaches the [d]humble His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. |
Confessing our sins and asking God’s mercy is another way we receive guidance from God. When we are honest with God—and ourselves—about our sins, it opens the door for God’s guidance in our hearts.
When we are forgiven by God, it frees us to cease trying to justify ourselves, which otherwise is a powerful barrier to God’s guidance. Similarly, humbleness in our dealings with God and people gets us beyond the defensiveness that blocks God’s guidance. His covenant and decrees are found, of course, in the Bible. |
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose. 13 His soul will abide in [e]prosperity, And his [f]descendants will inherit the [g]land. 14 The [h]secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, [i]And He will make them know His covenant. 15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will [j]pluck my feet out of the net. |
We should develop the habit of taking all our decisions to God. He will teach them the way that they should choose.”
We receive God’s guidance when we look for evidence about the things God cares about, such as justice, faithfulness, reconciliation, peace, faith, hope and love. (The psalm does not name these particular items—they are examples from other parts of the Bible.) |
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted. 17 [k]The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon my affliction and my [l]trouble, And forgive all my sins. 19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. 20 Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles. |
Integrity means living all of life under a coherent set of values, rather than, for example, being honest and compassionate with our families, but deceitful and cruel with our customers or co-workers. Thinking clearly about how to apply our highest values at work thus turns out to be a means of God’s guidance, at least to the degree that our highest values are formed by scripture and faithfulness to Christ.
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