Psalm 25:1-10 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 25:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Verse 2O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
Verse 3Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Verse 4Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Verse 5Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Verse 6Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Verse 7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
Verse 8Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
Verse 9He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Verse 10All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Devotion
This time of year there is so much that wants our attention. We have parties, gift buying, tree trimming, card writing, special events in our congregations, and the list goes on. It can be difficult to decide—what gets our full focus and attention and what we ignore. We can feel dizzy with the possibilities. Focus is also what the psalmist desires—what provides life, security and hope. Our consumer culture bombards us in the Advent season with promises that fullness of life and security can be found in material goods and that our hope comes with a bright red bow attached. Our focus very easily can stray to those falsehoods.
The psalm writer is aware of our human tendency to lose focus on the true provider of life, security and hope: Yahweh. We stray from the path with God, we get distracted by shiny objects and enticed by immediate gratification. Like the psalmist we need constant reorientation, we need to remember that our trust and our hope come from God. To be focused on God is to be truly awake, fully engaged, to "wait all day long" for God. The good news is that God walks the path with us in "steadfast love and faithfulness."
Prayer
Steadfast and reorienting God, keep us fully awake and focused on your hope and love. We trust in you and we lift up our whole lives to you. You faithfully teach us as we continue on our way with you. We wait to live into the fullness of promises in Christ. Amen.