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
The appeal of calculating our relationship with God as an if/then transaction appears again in today's reading. The psalmist initially appeals to God in a cause-and-effect way—"To you Lord I turn ... do not let me be put to shame"—suggesting that God will bless those who turn to God and walk in the law. If we stop reading there, we might stay in that transactional frame of mind—if I do this, then God will respond. Attractive as this notion is, God is not a divine vending machine.
Ultimately, the psalmist appeals to God's mercy and steadfast love. The contract of love between God and God's people is never a transactional one, but always freely given. Love is tested but never taken away, enduring through generations despite our sin. God's love leads us to reject self-serving narcissism; it teaches humility and a focus on the other. God is the God of our salvation because God has promised to be so. Our waiting will not be in vain.
Prayer
Merciful God, so much of our life is dominated by transactions; it is hard for us to understand your ever-giving love. Strengthen our faith so we can trust that your mercy and salvation are for us, and that our waiting upon you will not be in vain. In your steadfast love. Amen.