Psalm 25

When I pray I often find my mind wandering; not necessarily wandering in a bad way, just wandering, thinking about God and the implications of my prayer.  Eventually, I catch myself and return to the prayer.  That is the basic outline of Psalm 25.  David is praying, when he begins to meditate on the implications of his prayer, then he returns to end his prayer.

Psalm 25
Of David.		 Prayer, Meditation, Prayer

1 In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

2 I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3 No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

 I. David’s Prayer

A. Our Hope
Those who trust in God will never be abandoned.  When they stand before God they will not be ashamed.On the other hand:
Those who live as if there is no God, those who trust in themselves will find that they were hoping in an illusion.  They will experience true shame as all of their deeds, all of their treachery, will be exposed.

4 Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.

 B. We can Hope in God Because:

1. God shows us His ways

2. Teaches us His paths.

3. Guides us to truth

4. Is our Savior

5. Always remembers His great mercy

6. Does not remember our sins …

7. because He loves us.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

 II. David’s Meditation on God’s Love

1. God Guides us in what is right

2. instructs sinners in the way that is right

3. and teaches the us way to live.

4. God promises to always remain loving and faithful.

5. Because God made a covenant with His people, we are to follow His way, not our own way.

6. Though our sin is great, God forgives us.

As a result:
7. God will provide us with all that we need both in this life and the next.

8. As we faithfully teach God’s truth to the successive generations they will inherit salvation.

9. God confides in us, teaching us what others long to understand.

10. God promises to save us from those who would snare us.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord, is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

 III. David Prays for God’s Blessing                     

Here we learn that David is being opposed by many fierce enemies.  We are not told the details but it is clear that these enemies hate him they are trying to put him to shame.

David describes the situation to God.  He is troubled, in distress, lonely, afflicted, and hated but he knows he can always find refuge in God.

David asks God to:
1. See, look on his affliction.
2. Take away his sins.
3. Guard his life.
4. Rescue him.
5. Deliver believers from those who trouble them.

Perhaps you too are opposed by enemies who are trying to put you to shame because you are a child of the Savior.  You may find yourself in distress, lonely, maybe even hated.  But remember three things:

1.  According to Jesus, “If the world hates you,keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.  If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”  John 15:18-21

2.  But do not despair because like David you can put your trust in God. God always remembers His great mercy toward His children, those who remember His covenant. God who loves and guides the path of his children will rescue you.

3.  Ultimately, shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause as it is they who must stand before God to answer for their deeds.

1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
in ev’ry high and stormy gale
my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

3 His oath, His covenant, His blood
support me in the ‘whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

By Richard Loper

Hymn – “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”

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