Blog

457_God guides the godly

Psalm 25:1-15 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to 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 long.

6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 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!

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

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Have you ever tried navigating a dense forest without a map, compass, or guide? A group of hikers tried it once in the Appalachian Mountains. Confident in their GPS and a general sense of direction, they ignored the marked trail. A few hours in, their signal dropped. Every direction looked the same. It became dark. Panic set in. A fun weekend adventure became a desperate search for the way home.

The turning point came when they decided to stay put, keep warm, and wait for help. Rangers found them the next morning, exhausted and humbled, but safe. They were easy to find because of their posture – of stillness, dependence, and expectation.

In many ways, Psalm 25 is the cry of a soul that has decided to stop wandering and wait for divine help. David is not charging ahead in self-confidence. Instead, he pauses to think and to wait. He calls for guidance to the only one who knows the way.

This psalm is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While this is perhaps a poetic technique to aid memorization, it also captures the A-to-Z of what it means to be guided by God.

The psalm opens in a cry: “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.” This is all we can say once we learn that the only safety is in God. David declares his trust in God, as he declares: “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.” (v.3)

Waiting is not passive resignation but the quietness of expectancy, a readiness to move when God speaks. Like the hikers who stopped trying to find the way out and waited for help, David recognizes that the best thing for him is not to try to forge ahead, but to wait and listen.

A passionate prayer follows: “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.” (vv.4-5) David asks neither comfort nor success, but to know and walk in the path that leads to life. David doesn’t assume he knows the way. He begs the God of his salvation to both teach him and lead him.

And the humble prayer: “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me.” (v.7) Who among us doesn’t wish our youthful mistakes could be erased? Without minimizing his sins, David appeals to God’s mercy. God’s guidance comes only from His steadfast love.

And David’s praise begins as he speaks of God’s goodness. “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.” (vv.8-9) David testifies of his experience. God’s guiding hand and teaching are for the humble who seek his mercy – not the proud or the self-sufficient.

And what rich promises the next verses hold! “Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose… The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” (vv.12, 14) God doesn’t just give directions like a GPS. He teaches his way, but he also leads his people like a shepherd. He not only commands, but he also befriends. He makes a covenant with his people, he opens his heart to those who fear him in reverent obedience.

God reveals his plans and his mysteries only to those whose hearts are tuned to Him. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… they are spiritually discerned.” Trying to explain these things to the natural man is like describing color to the blind or music to the deaf. But to the godly—to the one who fears God—these living truths convict, correct, encourage, instruct, and renew.

God is a revealer of secrets. Amos 3:7 says, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” The prophets were not just religious mouthpieces; they were one with their God in spirit. But they paid the price. They spoke the very words of God to rebellious generations, through great personal and social suffering. Yet they remained in step with his purposes, for that was their life.

As the psalm draws to a close, David pleads: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses… Guard my soul, and deliver me!” (vv.16-20) In his life of struggles, he clings to what he knows: God is a gracious and strong guide, a guardian, and a friend to the godly.

His last prayer is not just for himself, but for the nation: “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.” (v.22) As Israel’s anointed king, he knew his own guidance and deliverance was tied to the larger story of God’s people. His own walk with God was fraught with implications for his people.

The message of Psalm 25 is clear and timeless: the beauty of the godly life comes from God’s goodness. God guides those who fear him. He teaches them, walks with them, and shares His secrets with them. But none of this is automatic. God speaks to and leads those who are humble, who are longing to be taught and led, who walk in his fear.

In a world filled with noise, speed, and endless opinions, let us wait, seek, and listen. Not only will our God guide us day by day, but he will be our friend – a closeness that sustains and transforms us. Let us walk in step with the Spirit, and not run ahead or wander off. Psalm 32:8 promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

As we face decisions, uncertainties, or distress, let us practice prayer and obedience. Let us trust his steadfast love. Let us confess our past sins and become teachable that we may be wise. Let us open our hearts to listen. The God who guided David, the prophets, and countless believers through history is guiding us, not with flashing signs or booming voices, but through His Spirit. Let us wait on him. God bless.