Thursday, July 14, 2011

Psalm 25

1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles

Key Verse:
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Key Outline:
1. v. 1-7 Remember and be merciful to me, a sinner
2. v. 8-22 Remember others and myself, but particularly Israel

Key Observation:
“Pardon my iniquity; for it is great” is the theme of this great psalm. It is an acrostic psalm in Hebrew, with successive letters of the alphabet.

Memory Verse:
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.


Devotion:
McGee has divided the next fifteen psalms into a separate category. They have a personal devotion application for us when we are in trouble, but they are prophetic about the future Israel. “The time will come when that remanant of Israel will find themselves in a position where there is no one upon whom they can depend but God. And it is good for us to come to that place also.” That day is sooner than when I first believed in 1972. I believe that ere my lifespan is over, we will live to see Christ returning with his church and for the purpose of ruling the world through Israel. It is my deep fervent hope that I shall live to see that “Blessed Coming”.

These psalms are helpful for when we are in distress. Times when I hurt and am really needing God, I find help from these words, written in a time when David hurt and went to his God to find help. George Mueller, convicted in his heart to start what turned out to be his life’s work, prayed earnestly to God for all of his beginning needs to work with a house of orphans. This is the record of his answer: “To the Glory of the Lord, whose I am, and whom I serve, I would state again, that every shilling of this money, and all the articles of clothing and furniture, . . . have been given to me, without one single individual having been asked by me for anything.”

David’s cry is like that of Mueller, and is answered by our loving God. “Unto thee do I lift up my soul. I trust in thee.” I need to be more like these men of faith, who understood and followed a God they knew loved him. Oh how I need to know my deep need for fellowship with a God who delights in those who seek Him. Is it not said, “Wise men still seek Him?”

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