Psalm 25 - Shameless

Psalm 25:1-2, 4-7, 16-18

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.

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;
for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.

I love the psalms. Their poetic beauty stirs my heart toward God. Their humanness connects to my own experience. Though these prayers are millennia old, they speak with relevance to every generation.

What spoke to me this morning was the cry to God to not be put to shame. Basically it's a cry for God not to let the praying person down. Don't let my trust in you be a foolish thing that will bring me shame. In other words "Dear God I'm trusting you to act to save me!"

As with most psalms there's a mention of enemies, but he also wants to be delivered from loneliness and the troubles of his heart. Rarely do we free Americans have real enemies unless you are a gangster or criminal. We certainly have rivals, but rarely do we have someone seeking to take our lives. But even when there is conflict in relationships it causes us distress. We can wonder what we've done wrong, or we can spend time blaming and accusing our rival. Either way it's not fun.

One thing the psalmist knows is that the way of the Lord, God's holy law revealed through Moses, is the path out of his troubles. He asks God to show him His ways, to lead him in truth and to show him mercy for his sins. He trusts not only God's righteous wisdom, but also God's patience and compassion for a wayward child.

Are you troubled in your heart? Do you feel lonely and harassed? Pray along with the psalmist and put your trust in the Lord to deliver you and show you the way to peace. You will not be put to shame!