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PSALM 25 A PRAYER OF THE WISE
Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!
We look to the Lord because we can only know the truth through revelation. God is our hope both because he is the Truth, and because he is the revealer of the Truth.
This psalm is a prayer of the wise. In this prayer the petitioner acknowledges that due to his sinful nature he is incapable of even seeing the truth that surrounds him. He turns to the Lord for healing and instruction. He recognizes that without forgiveness and the mercy of God he cannot receive the Lord’s instruction. The revelation of the Truth by the Lord would have no effect if he remained blind. It would be like an illiterate person praying to receive the complete works of William Shakespeare without first learning how to read. Indeed, the gift of the healing of his illiteracy would be a gift that would continue giving long after the plays were read. One is reminded of God’s response to Solomon’s request for wisdom in 1 Kings.
3:12I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. (1 Kings 3:12-13)
Lord God, send your Holy Spirit into my life so that I might be convicted of and redeemed from my sins. Remove my sin so I can see the revelation of your Truth and experience the guidance of your loving kindness. Show me your way and shine your light on the path before me. Amen.