Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
³ Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

⁴ Show me 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;
On You I wait all the day.

⁶ Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
⁹ The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹ For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

¹² Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He^[a] teach in the way He^[b] chooses.
¹³ He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
¹⁴ The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶ Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰ Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
²¹ Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!

 

A Teaching Psalm

 I went to college to become a teacher.  I had my 18-year-old reasons, but as I grew in those four years, I found that I truly loved to teach.  I loved children.  I loved to see their eyes light-up with knowledge and understanding.  I loved to see the look of satisfaction when they accomplished a task.  I loved using my A-Type personality and perfectionist tendencies to control the setting that is the classroom. Everything about being a teacher I loved.   

I went to school for four years to learn how to be a teacher.  I taught for two years.  I was homeschooled and have my mother a phone-call away when questions arise concerning homeschooling now.  It has been almost five years and I am just now beginning to start the homeschooling journey.  I get to put my organizational skills to work and plan, plan, plan!  I get to do fun pre-school activities and crafts.  The look of satisfaction and understanding is priceless on the face of my first-born.  

It is not the “teaching role” that has me feeling anxious.  It is the “motherhood role” that keeps me up at night.  I feel like my mothering is a trial-by-error most days. There are times when I think “Ok, I’ve got this “baby-thing” down.  I’ve had three, and I can do this!”  Then, my third child will do something completely strange and I wonder, “Where did THIS come from?  What am I doing wrong now?  Is my milk running out?  Am I feeding her enough?  Am I feeding her the right kinds of foods?”  I start to doubt and fear creeps in. The voice of accusation is loud some days. 

 

I would love for God to give a four-year course on being a good mother.  It isn’t that simple.  But God does give blueprints and He does promise to teach. 

Initial requirements for God to teach you:

Patience – wait for God to teach you.  Look for the unexpected: a verse on a card, a sermon, a circumstance, a daily devotion. Verses 4-5 – Show me Your ways O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

Humility – be humble and do not be arrogant.  Get rid of pride.  Get rid of the idea that you have it figured out.  Pray for humility and know your position before God: sinner. Verses 8-10 – Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

Fear – respect and fear God.  Reverence the Holy One.  Stand in awe of Who He is and what He has done.  He alone is worthy to praise. Verse 14 – The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.

Ultimately this psalm is an encouragement in dark days.  Days when the laundry is never-ending, the floors are a mess, and the children are still in the pjs at 11:00am, not to mention your utter lack of motivation.  Those days are hard.  Those days will come.  David reminds us in this Psalm that God is worthy to be trusted.  God’s lovingkindness is from eternity past and He is good.  God will teach us and lead us into His will.  Rest that God is setting a guard around you, protecting you.  He forgives your mistakes.  He keeps your soul and delivers you.