Psalm 25: 1-9 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 25: 1-9 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.
Devotion
The opening lines of this psalm always remind me of a song I learned at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp here in Montana. They might remind you too of hearts filled with joy, clapping and dancing around a campfire. "To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul (clap clap); in You I trust, O Lord!"
But from the rest of the psalm it's clear that Psalm 25 is not so much a psalm of praise as one of pleading for God's help, asking to be taught God's ways. "Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me."
As I’ve thought, however, maybe singing and praise are the perfect place to start when we are in need of God’s help. Lifting up our arms is an ancient posture of prayer, reminding us of our dependence on God. Trust is the necessary beginning point for being able to be taught and lead. Like campers following a counselor on a new trail, may we know the joy and wonder of being guided by the Spirit on paths that lead to new life.
Prayer
To you, O Lord, we lift up our souls and our lives. Teach us. Change us. Lead us, so we may walk in your ways and be the people you want us to be. Amen.