Psalm 25:1-9 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 25:1-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Verse 2O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
Verse 3Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Verse 4Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Verse 5Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Verse 6Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Verse 7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
Verse 8Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
Verse 9He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Devotion
“Teach me.”
That can be a fear-creating request. It demands great responsibility.
“Teach me.”
Teachers must know something. Then they must be gifted enough to share what they know in a way that another can understand and remember.
In Psalm 25, the Psalmist becomes specific. “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love.”
We have a God of mercy. He gives what we need, not what we deserve. We have a God of steadfast love. His love is never conditional. It is unfailing. He shows us mercy and unfailing love in powerful and unforgettable ways.
“Teach me,” the Psalmist asks.
If we know of God’s mercy and steadfast love, we’ll find that the most important lesson has already been taught.
Prayer
Lord, we ask you to teach us. Help us to learn things we have not yet known and remember things we have learned but forgotten. Amen.