Show me Your ways
From one of the Inspirational pages by Darlene Zschech that I chanced about :)
The Psalms must be read poetically and emphatically… after all, French must be read as French, and English as English’… C.S. Lewis.
NO 47: PSALM 25:1-10 (Amplified)
Psalm of David.
This David Psalm begins in the original text with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in their proper order. It is the first Psalm that uses this method, an inspired acrostic Psalm, or, alphabetical song. There is no particular reason why, whether an artistic statement, or purely a helpful tool to commit these to memory. I could find no other info, but would be interested to hear if you do! This is probably written in David’s later years as he is remorseful over his sin. Spurgeon says… ’the mark of a true saint is that his sorrow reminds him of his sins, and his sorrow for his sin drives him to his God.
1. Unto You O Lord, do I bring my life.
2. O my God, I trust, lean on, and rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or (my hope in You) be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me.
3. Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or disappointed; let them be put to shame who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.
4. Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.
5. Guide me in Your faithfulness and truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You (You only and altogether) do I wait (expectantly) all the day long.
6. Remember O Lord, Your tender mercy and loving kindness; for they have been ever from of old.
7. Remember not the sins, (the lapses and frailties) of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your mercy and steadfast love, remember me, for Your goodness sake O Lord.
8. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore, He will instruct sinners in (His) way.
9. He leads the humble in what is right, and the humble he teaches His way.
10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
Well, David does it again… and showers the king of all Kings with beautiful, heartfelt words.
The opening verse is one that I dearly love… To You O Lord, I bring my LIFE…. His words flow with love and devotion, yet the definitive sound of this phrase shows one man who has committed his entire life, the seen and the unseen, the praised and the unpraised, the highs and the lows… his LIFE to the Lord.
Is your LIFE committed to God? I know that I’m talking to Christians here, but it is a serious question. Many commit their heart, but then find it very hard to let go of their life! When you awake, when you talk to your neighbour, when you are dealing with your spouse, friends or family, when you are making business deals, when you are in private with no one (but our God) watching… this is called your LIFE. The fabric of your entire day, needs to be intricately woven into the word of God, as without it, you will unravel!!
True prayer, as we see here, is often described as the soul rising from the earth to have fellowship with heaven…. too often though, the soul finds it hard to rise, without wings, and is heavy and earthbound.
If you find yourself feeling like that, you must exert all you can, hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit, to lift your heart before God. Let faith lift your head, and grace allow you to pour out your heart… for a faithful, longing father is just waiting for you to draw near.
Another thing I adore about this opening statement is the way David is familiar… saying, MY GOD, as already in that moment, you can sense that he has heaven’s attention. David was not a perfect man, but had captured God’s own heart. It was through devotion, REPENTANCE, and a laying down of his own life that found him in this favoured position. Even the very best of men have made mistakes, done things they wish they hadn’t, etc… and if you truly come before God with a repentant heart, not prideful and self-assured, but humbly and honestly, then you are setting yourself up, just like David did, to be trusted by the Father.
You can easily see the themes running through this prayer, but another key verse is… ’show me your way, teach me, guide me, etc… again, this is an obedient heart talking here. I don’t know about you, but I don’t only obey God because I have been commanded to, I obey because I love Him, and want to bring him honour with the offering that is called my LIFE. If you find it hard to obey the commands of the Word, ask yourself the same question. Why do I obey? Why do I want to pray, show me Your way? Why does it matter to me and to those around me? If you can get these fundamentals straight, it will cause you to walk through life with more of a slide than a struggle.
Verse 8 then reminds us again of the indescribable character of God…. kind-hearted and compassionate, and in Isaiah, it clearly states that God is forming a people for Himself… I am so thankful for His love, as it is this very truth that has each of us standing as the righteousness of Christ today.
The last verse declares the promise of God over all who keep the principles of the Word as top priority, keeping His covenant, and His testimonies as the delight of our lives. This is not hard when it is TRUTH to you, this IS hard when you are living out of compulsion rather than conviction.
You’ve got to get this guys….. don’t serve or play or sing because we said, or because you were on the roster, serve because you are in LOVE WITH JESUS and the power of this eternal message in our lives.
The song of the Psalmist here is real, sweet, passionate, sometimes remorseful, but ever in love with His Lord and King, so, if you’re looking for the secret to true success in life, I think you’ve just found it.
I love you and totally believe in you,
DARLS.
……..I praise loudly, I blame softly………………. Catherine the Great
