Psalm 25 grabbed hold of me a few days ago.
I’ve read and reread it.
Listened to it several times.
Searched for songs based on it –
– and had already decided to write about it verse by verse when, today it came up as part of a homework question in a book I’m reading along with some friends.
Here is one of my homework answers 🙂
PSALM 25
Personalised.
Oh Lord – You are where my hope and trust have always belonged.
You – the One Who watches over me whether waking or sleeping, you also watch for me. You know the malice that hides under cover of darkness or imitation light – flesh or spirit.
Oh Lord bring the light that reveals truth within. Truth of integrity – or truth of evil – and be at work on my behalf. You hate lies and stirrers of dissention. Lips as turbulent as the roughest seas set to finish those who sail there – are not hidden from you.
Oh Lord my own paths have shown me why yours are so much better.
Lord Your standard is Your Love – not my failings, sins, misguided ways. Your standard of good welcomes and invites sinners to be saints – and teaches us, when at last we’re ready to hear.
Your covenant demand is to trust you when we’ve failed – for your Love to be enough and your promises to be true and your faithfulness unwavering.
Because You are good and Your Name is Great and your character perfect, you forgive me, you clean me, you wash the blood of guilt from me like the priests who moved from the alter to the laver drenched in the blood of death, to wash in the waters of life to light, communion and fellowship with You as Father, Friend, Lord and Redeemer. The Way of old, planned, made and paved by You.
Oh Lord I’m listening. May I be found firmly in the hollow of your hand, at the centre of your will and the knowing of your blessing therein.
May your whispers be my delight. Your secrets – my life. Your confidences beautiful in their impartation and actual in my being.
Let not my eyes slip from yours ever again. The eyes that saw and see, the eyes that love and lift, the eyes that bring me home. In your gaze I trust and plant my steps between the snares.
Lord I’m lonely for your nearness to be as real as arms around-about. My sorrows take up so much space and time… carry them for me – with me – won’t you?
Refocus me continually Lord God. Lift and work in my troubles that I may know your peace as it umpires this way or that.
Lord; enemies seen and unseen, flesh and spirit, whisperers, accusers, deceived, deceiving and deceivers – hope to see me fall but inside of You I’m safe and seen, loved and clean, held forevermore.
Inside of your heart, I am fought for. My integrity and uprightness count as love toward and because of You; yet Your integrity and uprightness formed all creation and every law that functions – so all my hope is in Your justice, mercy, ability and intention – not mine. Remember Your people with action oh Lord. Remember us in Your love.
PSALM 25
NIV
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.
4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, 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.
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.
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!
How would you make Psalm 25 your own?