We Can Confidently Trust In the Lord! -- Psalm 25:1-14
We Can Confidently Trust In the Lord! -- Psalm 25:1-14
By Pastor Lee Hemen
April 19, 2020
There are certain poets that I like; most are those who tell stories. Robert Service was called “The Bard of the Yukon” because he wrote a lot of poems about the north like “The Cremation of Sam McGee” or “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”. I also like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who wrote such poems as “The Landlord’s Tale, Paul Revere’s Ride” but of course one of my favorites is “There Was A Little Girl”: “There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.” David from the Bible is also one of my favorite poets. He wrote many of the Psalms.
One of my favorite Psalms is the one we will look at today. David boldly turned to the Lord for divine instruction and forgiveness from his sin. David knew he could because of God’s grace for Israel. This psalm is a meditation on the character of God that should prompt us to respond in prayer and confession. This psalm is an acrostic because each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet! David teaches us that we can confidently trust in the Lord, let’s discover why…
READ: Psalm 25:1-14
Who do you go to for answers? If you’re sick you would go to a doctor, if you needed financial advice you might go to an accountant or broker. If it was questions concerning education you might go to your child’s teacher, professor, or a college counselor. But where do you go for spiritual advice? David teaches us that we can…
I. Confidently trust God for good advice! (Vv. 1-5)
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 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. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
1. The wonderful example David gives us in his poem is where he personally went for advice. David found it hard to trust some of the people around him because they were more interested in what he as a leader could do for them rather than truly trying to help him as king. But notice here where David immediately goes for advice: “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.” When David needed advice he went to the Lord, his God. What a beautiful example for us today! In fact David gets quite personal and asks God, “Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” He knew that as a leader he could not compromise himself and while David was far from perfect, he knew where to go so he could remain circumspect. This is why he could confidently retort that “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.” If David remained in the Lord’s confidence he knew he would be safe from those who wanted to shame him. However David knew it was more than just asking God for advice, he had to be willing to learn from the Lord how he needed to live in order to be the godly man he desired. So he continues by asking the Lord, “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” And isn’t this what we should do as well when we desire good advice? Go to God ask for his advice and to show us his truth! David teaches us that we can confidently trust God for good advice!
EXAMPLE: When a parent is teaching their child how to do something often the best way is by example. Children learn best when they see what we are teaching them through us and especially if they can trust us! When I was learning how to swim in the deep part of a pool my father would have me jump into his arms. I would take a flying leap right into his outstretched arms knowing he would catch me. We can rest assured that when we place our trust in God it is never misplaced and David teaches us that we can confidently trust God for good advice!
I was raised in a faith that taught that you could never be assured of God’s love. But this is not what the Scriptures teach us and in fact David relates that we can…
II. Confidently trust God for mercy and love! (Vv. 6-10)
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
1. Now it isn’t that God forgets about us or that his memory isn’t so great and David knew this to be true but he goes to God and tells him, “Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” And in fact he asks God to “remember” three times! Remember his “great mercy and love”, to not “remember the sins of my youth” and “rebellious ways”, and “according to [God’s] love remember me”! It is kind of a reaffirmation for David of who God is and what he does in a person’s life. We all want God’s mercy and love; we desire that he not remember our sins and rebellion, and that God remember us according to his everlasting love for us! I know I do. How can David ask this and why would we know God would “remember”? Simple, because God is “good” and not just good but he is also “upright” meaning he is consistent in the way he acts towards those he loves! Like David I am glad this is true! Because of this we can be confident that God “instructs sinners in his ways”. God will come along side of us, guide us, and teach us to be the people of God we need to be! David was so certain of this truth that he sang “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” It reminds me of the Apostle John’s words: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:9-10 NIV)” James would write, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10 NIV)” David understood that “All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” Because of Jesus we now know that the “demands of his covenant” is to love him completely and others! David teaches we can confidently trust God for mercy and love!
EXAMPLE: My friend and I had convinced our parents to let us campout by ourselves. They were skeptical about us being “old enough” but we pleaded and begged until they let us. That night a bear poked its head through our tent’s flap. We walked all night to get to a phone so we could go home. When our parents came to get us they wrapped us in warm blankets and took us home without one single word about us being too young to campout by ourselves. Sometimes you just need mercy and love and David teaches us here that we can confidently trust God for mercy and love!
We may not know what is in store for us in a week, month, or year but God does. God knows the number of our days,, the hairs on our head, and our future in him. And here David gives us the wonderful truth that we can…
III. Confidently trust God with our lives! (Vv. 11-14)
For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
1. We often forget that everything that happens in our lives or in our world is for the glory of God. Now this can seem odd when bad things occur like COVID-19 however it is true. God is faithful. God is who he said he is. So David in an effort not only to remind himself but those who would listen to his words would know that God is faithful, he writes, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.” David knew he wasn’t perfect. In fact he was a sinner who deserved punishment, but David also knew God’s mercy and love. And even though his own “iniquity, though it is great” God would forgive him if David humbled himself and asked, “Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?” David knew it was the person who was willing and then God “will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.” The writer of Proverbs reminds us that “The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15:33 NIV)” So David ends this portion of his poem with these words: “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” God becomes intimate with those who are willing to walk humbly with him. Like the Prophet Micah when he asked God what he required of him, God responded: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)” Here in his poem David teaches us that we can confidently trust God with our lives!
EXAMPLE: One of the most wonderful parts of marriage is being able to trust your partner with your life. Two individuals decide to set aside their own desires and safety and trust another person to become a couple united together for one purpose, marriage. Sometimes we can struggle with the concept of faith but it is the same willingness to set aside yourself and trust another. Jesus said our faith today is even greater than that of his disciples because they were able to be physically with him and we have to trust what we cannot see. Hebrews reminds us that “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)” Here David teaches us that we can confidently trust God with our lives!
Conclusion:
Confidently trust God for good advice! Confidently trust God for mercy and love! Confidently trust God with our lives!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
April 19, 2020
There are certain poets that I like; most are those who tell stories. Robert Service was called “The Bard of the Yukon” because he wrote a lot of poems about the north like “The Cremation of Sam McGee” or “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”. I also like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who wrote such poems as “The Landlord’s Tale, Paul Revere’s Ride” but of course one of my favorites is “There Was A Little Girl”: “There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.” David from the Bible is also one of my favorite poets. He wrote many of the Psalms.
One of my favorite Psalms is the one we will look at today. David boldly turned to the Lord for divine instruction and forgiveness from his sin. David knew he could because of God’s grace for Israel. This psalm is a meditation on the character of God that should prompt us to respond in prayer and confession. This psalm is an acrostic because each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet! David teaches us that we can confidently trust in the Lord, let’s discover why…
READ: Psalm 25:1-14
Who do you go to for answers? If you’re sick you would go to a doctor, if you needed financial advice you might go to an accountant or broker. If it was questions concerning education you might go to your child’s teacher, professor, or a college counselor. But where do you go for spiritual advice? David teaches us that we can…
I. Confidently trust God for good advice! (Vv. 1-5)
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 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. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
1. The wonderful example David gives us in his poem is where he personally went for advice. David found it hard to trust some of the people around him because they were more interested in what he as a leader could do for them rather than truly trying to help him as king. But notice here where David immediately goes for advice: “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.” When David needed advice he went to the Lord, his God. What a beautiful example for us today! In fact David gets quite personal and asks God, “Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” He knew that as a leader he could not compromise himself and while David was far from perfect, he knew where to go so he could remain circumspect. This is why he could confidently retort that “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.” If David remained in the Lord’s confidence he knew he would be safe from those who wanted to shame him. However David knew it was more than just asking God for advice, he had to be willing to learn from the Lord how he needed to live in order to be the godly man he desired. So he continues by asking the Lord, “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” And isn’t this what we should do as well when we desire good advice? Go to God ask for his advice and to show us his truth! David teaches us that we can confidently trust God for good advice!
EXAMPLE: When a parent is teaching their child how to do something often the best way is by example. Children learn best when they see what we are teaching them through us and especially if they can trust us! When I was learning how to swim in the deep part of a pool my father would have me jump into his arms. I would take a flying leap right into his outstretched arms knowing he would catch me. We can rest assured that when we place our trust in God it is never misplaced and David teaches us that we can confidently trust God for good advice!
I was raised in a faith that taught that you could never be assured of God’s love. But this is not what the Scriptures teach us and in fact David relates that we can…
II. Confidently trust God for mercy and love! (Vv. 6-10)
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
1. Now it isn’t that God forgets about us or that his memory isn’t so great and David knew this to be true but he goes to God and tells him, “Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” And in fact he asks God to “remember” three times! Remember his “great mercy and love”, to not “remember the sins of my youth” and “rebellious ways”, and “according to [God’s] love remember me”! It is kind of a reaffirmation for David of who God is and what he does in a person’s life. We all want God’s mercy and love; we desire that he not remember our sins and rebellion, and that God remember us according to his everlasting love for us! I know I do. How can David ask this and why would we know God would “remember”? Simple, because God is “good” and not just good but he is also “upright” meaning he is consistent in the way he acts towards those he loves! Like David I am glad this is true! Because of this we can be confident that God “instructs sinners in his ways”. God will come along side of us, guide us, and teach us to be the people of God we need to be! David was so certain of this truth that he sang “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” It reminds me of the Apostle John’s words: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:9-10 NIV)” James would write, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10 NIV)” David understood that “All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” Because of Jesus we now know that the “demands of his covenant” is to love him completely and others! David teaches we can confidently trust God for mercy and love!
EXAMPLE: My friend and I had convinced our parents to let us campout by ourselves. They were skeptical about us being “old enough” but we pleaded and begged until they let us. That night a bear poked its head through our tent’s flap. We walked all night to get to a phone so we could go home. When our parents came to get us they wrapped us in warm blankets and took us home without one single word about us being too young to campout by ourselves. Sometimes you just need mercy and love and David teaches us here that we can confidently trust God for mercy and love!
We may not know what is in store for us in a week, month, or year but God does. God knows the number of our days,, the hairs on our head, and our future in him. And here David gives us the wonderful truth that we can…
III. Confidently trust God with our lives! (Vv. 11-14)
For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
1. We often forget that everything that happens in our lives or in our world is for the glory of God. Now this can seem odd when bad things occur like COVID-19 however it is true. God is faithful. God is who he said he is. So David in an effort not only to remind himself but those who would listen to his words would know that God is faithful, he writes, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.” David knew he wasn’t perfect. In fact he was a sinner who deserved punishment, but David also knew God’s mercy and love. And even though his own “iniquity, though it is great” God would forgive him if David humbled himself and asked, “Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?” David knew it was the person who was willing and then God “will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.” The writer of Proverbs reminds us that “The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15:33 NIV)” So David ends this portion of his poem with these words: “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” God becomes intimate with those who are willing to walk humbly with him. Like the Prophet Micah when he asked God what he required of him, God responded: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)” Here in his poem David teaches us that we can confidently trust God with our lives!
EXAMPLE: One of the most wonderful parts of marriage is being able to trust your partner with your life. Two individuals decide to set aside their own desires and safety and trust another person to become a couple united together for one purpose, marriage. Sometimes we can struggle with the concept of faith but it is the same willingness to set aside yourself and trust another. Jesus said our faith today is even greater than that of his disciples because they were able to be physically with him and we have to trust what we cannot see. Hebrews reminds us that “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)” Here David teaches us that we can confidently trust God with our lives!
Conclusion:
Confidently trust God for good advice! Confidently trust God for mercy and love! Confidently trust God with our lives!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
Comments