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
How can David talk to God with such confidence, with such force and will? David is insistent in his requests to the Lord: "do not let ... ", "do not let ... ", "do not let ... ",(v. 2-3), and repeatedly David’s words come as commands to the Lord, "make me ... ", "teach me ... ", "lead me ... " (v. 4-5). And if that doesn't catch our attention, in an almost comical shift of tone, David declares, "He [the Lord] leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way" (v. 9). What is there that is humble about this prayer of David?
Possibly everything. A closer look at the content of this prayer shows that it is not David placing himself at its center, but it is David praying as if God is at the center—of everything. It makes me wonder: if we came to realize that indeed God is at the center of everything, would we also be able to speak to God with such boldness and confidence?
Prayer
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord! Amen.