For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great (Psalm 25:11).
For the sake of your name.
Not mine.
Because my name, frankly, is not worth saving.
But my name is so loud in my own ears that
it drowns out your voice
your wisdom
your word.
Perhaps the only way I can serve you is to stand as the object of your mercy.
That will be enough
and more.
Happy Friday, Beloved
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way (Psalm 25:8-9).
I’m a teacher.
I teach.
I teach the excellent students, whose eyes are bright with understanding and a deep desire to learn and grow and understand the things of life.
Aaaand I teach the other ones, the ones I lovingly call “pathetic lumps of flesh.”
I offer what I have to both, because both need it.
Howeversomuchmoreso with God. He offers his wisdom to saint and sinner, because both desperately need it.
Why does he do this? I mean, I get teaching your followers, but why waste wisdom on the wicked? Well, it’s right there at the beginning of the verse:
Because he is good.
Also, I think God remembers something that I tend to forget:
That sinner?
That humble man?
They are both me. Just depends on when you catch me.
Happy Thursday, Beloved
Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Selective memory is a beautiful thing.
David knows who he is.
More than that, he knows that God knows.
David’s asking God to conveniently forget the less savory aspects of his life, and to remember only that he loves David. My grandma had that ability to pick and choose what she remembered. We called it dementia–perhaps it was a spiritual gift.
Anyway, here’s the amazing thing: God does it. When God looks at David, he chooses not to remember the sin and rebellion and foolishness. He sees only his Beloved.
He does the same when he looks at you and me.
How do I know this?
Well, we’re here, aren’t we?
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:4-5).
This is a psalm asking for deliverance. David is in a world of hurt here–stressed out, ill, and under attack by slanderous enemies. I would expect to find David asking for deliverance, healing, retribution, even forgiveness.
I didn’t expect this.
David asks God, in the midst of all this yuck (pardon the deep theological terminology) to teach him to be more like God.
Um…wow.
I wish I could tell you that, in the midst of deep physical and emotional crisis, I would ask God to make me more godly. Alas, I am far more likely to ask him to heal me and cause my enemies to explode.
If you decide to stop reading my blog now, I’ll understand. But, there I am.
Beloved, I hope that God never allows great pain and sorrow into your life. I don’t care if it would make you more godly–I like you too much, and I’m just too selfish. However, if the yuck of this sinful, broken world has to slop over into your life, I pray that God would use it to show you his ways, teach you his paths, and basically make you more like him.
Just don’t go looking for trouble, OK?
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame…(Psalm 25:1-3a).
Shame
Not embarrassment…not awkward self-consciousness, but full-blown shame.
Look, I’ve been embarrassed a time or two
or twelve.
I’ve blown my lines in front of a large audience, I’ve driven my car over a curb amid a symphony of honks and jeers. I’ve dropped the fly ball that should have been an easy out.
Hey, I once walked into a tether-ball pole in full view of the entire playground.
I know embarrassment.
But shame, the way David is talking about it here–shame is different. Shame strikes to the very core of your being. Shame isn’t about what you did.
It’s about who you are.
So…who are you?
If you are a child of God, you cannot be put to shame, because the very core of your being is Christ.
Because you are his Beloved.
So whether your enemy is some guy named Ted, or some disease named Cancer, or some life-wrecker named Self, you will not be put to shame, because your hope is in Him.
But, I gotta tell you, if you walk into a tetherball pole you’ll still feel like an idiot.
Happy Monday, Beloved.
May integrity and uprightness protect me, for my hope, Lord, is in you (Psalm 25:21).
Pssssssst–
He’s talking about God’s integrity and God’s uprightness. Because if we were relying on our own integrity and uprightness to protect us…well…
some thoughts are better left unexplored, eh Beloved?
Happy Friday.
Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you (Psalm 25:20).
Why?
Because I work so hard?
nope
Because I know so much?
huh uh
Because I give my 10%?
um…no
Because I offer wise advice?
not so much
Because I have the Jumbo Study Bible with built in concordance?
Ooooohhh…swingandamiss
Because, in the end, I’m such a groovy guy?
seriously
Because I’m his. Hear that, Beloved. Because I’m his, I have the right to claim refuge in him, the right to run to him when I am in distress. Because I’m his I have confidence that the yuck will never get too deep, the mountains never too high, the stress never too much. You have a whole Thursday full of stuff to deal with today. Don’t be afraid to run to your Father and claim the shelter that is rightfully yours.
Because you are the Beloved of Christ.
Happy Thursday
See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! (Psalm 25:19).
OK, so I don’t literally have people out to kill me.
To the best of my knowledge
Although I do teach middle school, so…
Still, there are days when finances and job stress and finances and traffic idiots and finances and people and finances and house repairs and finances and car issues and finances leave me feeling that I am surrounded on all sides by people with bad attitudes and pointy sticks. Beyond that, I live in a society that is moving further and further away from the values that I hold and into a nether region of silliness and sin. It may not attack my body, but it daily attacks my sense of right and wrong.
Not to mention my logic
So, yeah, I can identify in a very small way with David’s plight here. Far more importantly, I can identify with David’s rescue. The Psalmist knew he would be saved, because he knew his savior.
As do I
As do you
Take a deep breath, Beloved of Christ.
Happy Wednesday
Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins (Psalm 25:18).
I don’t think I’ve ever really read this verse before.
I mean, I’ve read over it, but…
David is alone and afraid and hurt and under attack and what does he ask God for?
A clean heart
Forgiveness
A right relationship with his Lord
David is a man who understands priorities.
Me? My prayers would probably be more along the lines of, “Heal my body and crush my enemies to powder.”
“Please”
Let’s see if we can keep first things first today, ya?
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish (Psalm 25:16-17).
It’s almost here.
You know…the Holidays.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s a time of joy and peace and laughter and fellowship with the ones we love.
You know…for some.
For others, this can be a really lonely, empty time.
And it’s coming.
If you find yourself in Category A, and you love the holidays–in fact, you’ve already got Thanksgiving decorations up, with Christmas boxes down from the rafters and just waiting…I’m very glad for you. Enjoy, my friend.
If you’re stuck in Category B, and the dread is creeping in–I’m so sorry. I’ve been there, and I know that few things are as painful as watching others rejoice when you are in the pit. But know this, Beloved of Christ–
You feel lonely, but you are never, ever alone.
You feel empty, but His spirit fills you.
You weep, but you will laugh with the angels.
Look, I know that those words can feel empty and useless and meaningless in the face of all you’re dealing with today.
But they’re true.
You are loved by the One who knows you better than anyone else.
Seriously,
He knows you
and
He loves you.
Pretty amazing, ya?
So, if nothing else, rejoice in that today.
Because that’s a lot.
In fact, when you get right down to it
that’s pretty much everything.
Happy Monday, Beloved