To You, Lord, I lift up my soul. My God, in You I trust (vv. 1-2).
Psalm 25 was the first Psalm that I memorized as a new believer – sometime in 1972.
I was 19 years old when I memorized this Psalm and consider it to be the most influential Psalm of my walk with Jesus.
There are three reasons that I value this Psalm.
First: I was rebellious against God for years before becoming a Christian. This Psalm teaches forgiveness. I knew that God would not hold my past against me.
Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoings; Remember me according to Your faithfulness, for Your goodness’ sake, Lord (vv. 6-7).
Second: I was young and I wanted to follow God the rest of my life.
I believe Psalm 25 was one of the first of King David’s Psalms, written as he was fleeing from King Saul and before he became King.
Listen to King David in his youth, and thousands of years later, in my youth – before David became King, and as I began my ministry.
Make me know Your ways, Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me (vv. 4-5).
He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way (v. 9).
All the paths of the Lord are faithfulness and truth (v. 10).
Third: Psalm 25 lists the obstacles that all of us will face walking the path of God. The Psalm then lists the solutions.
Danger
For He will rescue my feet from the net. With the solution of… I will keep my eyes continually toward the Lord (v. 15).
Loneliness
I am lonely and afflicted. With the solution of… You will turn to me and be gracious! (v. 16).
A broken heart
The troubles of my heart are enlarged. With the solution of… You will bring me out of my distresses (v. 17).
Regrets
Look upon my misery and my trouble. With the solution of… You forgive my sins (v. 18).
I’ve meditated upon the message of Psalm 25 for years. I don’t believe that I would have accomplished anything in my life without learning from its depth.
Embedded within Psalm 25, David gives the best advice found in scripture for success – a fear of God that causes us to wait for Him.
You are the God of my salvation, for You I will wait all day (v. 5).
The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him (v. 14).
In life, there are pitfalls, distractions, temptations, and oppositions. We will stumble if we react too quickly or in anger. When we learn that God has the solutions and that our plans don’t work – when we have a healthy fear of haste that leads to disobedience – then we wait for Him.
No better advice – learning the secret of fearing God and then waiting for Him to lead.