Teach Me to Wait ~ Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.
Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed,
let not my enemies triumph over me.
Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed:
Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths.
Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me:
for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, Thy tender mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will He teach sinners in the way.
The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
For Thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.
What man is he that feareth the LORD?
Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him;
and He will show them His covenant.

My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn Thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring Thou me out of my distresses.
Look upon my affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Consider my enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in Thee.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Two words popped out at me from this psalm this morning: teach and wait.

Five times David asks God to teach him. Teach him what? His paths… in the way… His way… in the way that He shall choose. David wants to walk in the path that God has set before him, not the path of his own choosing. That is my prayer as well. Lord, teach me to walk in the way that You shall choose for me.

In addition to waiting on God, David also affirms that he fears and trusts the Lord. I in particular need to remember to wait on God, trust Him, and yes, fear Him. A proper fear of God motivates me to remain pure. Trust in God motivates me to rest in Him, confident that He knows what’s best for me and is able to meet my every need. Waiting on the Lord means that I acknowledge His perfect timing in the matters that pertain to me. He knows what’s best. He knows what I need, and He knows what all those in my circle need. I am not an island unto myself. My life touches many other lives as the ripples flow outward from me. I don’t even know all the lives that are affected by mine. God cares about each one of those lives, and when we allow Him to move according to His purposes in His time, then all things work together for good for all. It’s time for me to stop living selfishly, to think of others and leave off thinking about myself. My focus must be upon the face of my Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Then everything else will fall neatly into place.