Wednesday of Pentecost - Psalm 25:1-15
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. 3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. 12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. 13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. 14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. 15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
I once read that a human being learns 60% of everything he or she will ever know by the time one is three years old. Another 20% is added by the fifth birthday. In those early years we learn to walk and talk, to smile and play, to solve problems and how we react to stress, and much more. If you know a preschool teacher or young parents with small children, pray for them and honor that person. They do incredibly valuable work in their education and care of children.
As I have done before, I encourage you to read this psalm slowly and ponder each verse. Ask yourself what you imagine David is talking about in each line. As you read, you will notice that teaching shows up in several places within the psalm. What do you think we need to learn that God has to teach us? God’s ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8-9). His ways are higher and much better than our ways.
Some of these things are not intellectual or things of the mind as much as they are the ways of the Lord, the patterns and habits which we probably do not think about very often. If you read a little earlier in the Isaiah 55 chapter I mentioned earlier you will read that God connects those higher and better ways to the steadfast covenantal love he showed to the same David who wrote this psalm. Is David simply asking to love like God loves? How would that look in your life?
Rev. Phillip Brandt, MDiv, PhD
Rejoice in the Spirit!
Pr Fred
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