Psalms 25: verses 12-22

Psalms Chapter 25: Verses 12-22 #Fear #MyGod #Trust #Ashamed #Prayer #Lament #Teach #Learn # (Unless otherwise stated all Scriptures in this devotional are from the King James Version of the Bible.) See also Psalm Chapter 25:vv 01-11

Reverential “fear” of the Lord arises from an understanding of His holiness (Prov. 1:7) (Cayce 2017, Psalms 25).

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.

In this section of this chapter, David shows that the righteous receive blessings from God. Another Wisdom Literature phrase in noted in this section of the psalm. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Key indicators that a person “fears God.” The expected behavioral outcomes are similar to those listed below.

The Lord becomes the center of a teachable person’s life, thoughts, actions, and intentions. Teachability check!

“How much of our time do we spend searching the Bible and reading content from or about the Bible that has more than one Scripture associated with it?

Do we read devotionals that are just stories or do we read devotionals that require us to search the Scriptures?

The person is teachable if they are willing to learn from God’s word.

They do not believe that they have all knowledge. They seek out venues that will teach them Scripture, instead of seeking out stories that appeal to the senses or one’s feelings. “..Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose [.]“

A teachable person does not want to be seen as someone who is teachable.

Neither, are they attempting to teach others about things that they do not understand themselves.

When a person is teachable God opens their mind to understanding His covenant relationship with them. “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him[.]“ To what end? The reward of having a rich and two-way relationship with God, and they become a member of “his seed [who will] inherit the earth.” Taking the high road is easy for them. They are not looking for reasons to punish people who have punished/offended them, regardless of how long they have been hurt.

A teachable person’s “eyes are ever toward the LORD; [because they believe that] he shall pluck [their] feet out of the [harm] net.” Why should we be teachable? Galatians 3:29 explains this well. “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” What promise?

God promised salvation to all who believe in His Son (Romans 1:16–17). There is no greater blessing than the free gift of God’s salvation.

God promised that all things will work out for good for His children (Romans 8:28). This is the broader picture that keeps us from being dismayed by present circumstances.

God promised comfort in our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). He has a plan, and one day we will be able to share the comfort we receive.

God promised new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation is the beginning of a brand-new existence.

God promised every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Whereas, in the Old Testament, Israel had the promise of physical blessing, the church today has been promised spiritual blessings “in the heavenly realms.” Our inheritance is reserved for us (1 Peter 1:4).

God promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). God does nothing in half measures. He started the work in us, and He will be sure to complete it.

God promised peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6–7). His peace is protection. It will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.”

God promised to supply our needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). Not that we get everything we want, but our needs will be taken care of. We are more valuable than the birds, and our Heavenly Father feeds them (Matthew 6:26) (Accessed from https://www.gotquestions.org/promises-of-God.html).

Dear Lord, please help me!

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.

David is in trouble, and this song/prayer becomes a lament. “have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.” Cayce proposes that in this verse the word for desolate means”Desolate means lonely.” Also, “afflicted” means depressed. Maybe he was depressed because the psalmist states “The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. [Because I need deliverance from] . . . mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.” He could not see a resolution for his problem. We know that God has a resolution for every problem that a Christian faces in this life. Luke 21:26 “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: [but the Christian does not need to fear] for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

The psalmist internalizes the troubles and begins to think that maybe God is punishing him. Why would I believe that? Look at what he said in this verse “18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.“ There are entire schools of thought that truly believe when a Christian is ill, or in any kind of trouble, it is because they have sinned. James 5:14-15 tells us “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:” “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” He does not state when, where, or how. Our healing could come the day we close our eyes and leave this ball of clay. Our healing may be delayed to ensure that He is glorified by our testimony of faith in Him.

Do you remember when Jesus and the disciples were traveling and they met a man with an illness? John 9: 1-5 “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Who is to know why Christians become ill and need to have surgery, or take medication? It is not because their faith is weak. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. If you ever begin to feel that your faith in God is being questioned consider the fact that the “man after God’s own heart” wrote this psalm.

There are verses here that sound like the words of an anxious and or depressed person, right? Remember this promise that we have from Christ. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Back to David. He just could not see his way out of his troubles. Even so, he makes a statement of confidence in God. In verse 21 David boldly states “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; [Whose integrity and uprightness? Certainly not David’s, he has already stated that he believes that he has sinned! So, it must be God’s integrity and uprightness!

In addition to God’s integrity and uprightness preserving David, he expounded that he will] wait on [God] to act on his behalf. We have a promise from God. Just see what John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He is out of his “funk” so to speak! He has confessed his sin and is confident that he is forgiven. David knew that there was no human being who could help him in his time of trouble. Psalms 124:8 tells us that “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” The question is this. Do we really believe it? David did!

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

The psalmist is a king who is connected to God, and he realizes that his actions affect his people. As in Isaiah 35:10“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” A Christian leaders have the same responsibility to be mindful that their sins impact everyone in their congregation too.

So, where do we stand after reading this psalm? We have hope! We can trust God to keep His promises and keep His people safe!

Contact us if you are feeling depressed, desolate and alone. God is with you and so are we!

References

Cayce, Ken. 2017. “Books of the Bible.” http://www.bible-studys.org/About%20Me.html. Accessed August 29, 2018

Longman, Tremper, III. 2014. Psalms : An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Accessed September 15, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.