Monday, December 23, 2024
Mal 3:1-5; Ps 25:1-14; Rev 22:6-11; Lk 1:57-66
Approachable Leadership, “Why Gaining Trust is Hard: 4 Ways to Get it Back,” Dec 2024 https://approachableleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/father-son-trust-small.jpg
The 3 H’s of Psalm 25 – Here’s what I know… Help… Hey everyone…
Psalms are interesting bits of writing - a song, poetry and prayer rolled into one.
This Psalm (25:1-14) follows this pattern of many of the Psalms of David – a prayer, song, and poem – to and about God. As a poem, it is an acrostic one, with the brilliance of writing the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, lost on us because of not being able to read it in Hebrew. However, we can still pickup on the parallelism (in the structure), the colloquial praise and worshipful tone, the spiritual and relational themes (trust, shame, requests, statements of character, forgiveness, promises, etc.), and the “feel and flavour” of the language.
As a prayer, this is a personal one, where David is talking to God and a little later having us join in as he reminds us about God, too. “I”, “me” and “my” is David, “you” and “your” is the “Lord my God”. David (like the “Lord’s Prayer” is addressing God, worshipping him through stating facts, but with the typical feelings we have in our relationships, praying for attributes his “kingdom to come and will to be done on earth”, asking for our needs and forgiveness, and to “release us from the snares”. You also cannot miss the praise and worship, even implicitly in the words.
I love the raw expressiveness and experience David had with God. He constantly prays about their relationship, and for help. They know each other, and talk. And you can see it here in his prayer/poem/song themes to God. I would state it as:
First, “God - here’s what I know so far of you (Relation statements 1 - verses 1-3):
· I trust you or put my trust in you
· No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame (shame will instead come on those who are treacherous without cause)
· You are good
Second, “So God – help me” (Requests set 1 – verses 4-7):
· Show me your ways; teach me your paths
· Guide me in your truth.
· Teach me
· Remember your mercy and love; and
· Don’t remember my sins and rebellious ways
Third, “Hey everybody - Here’s who the Lord is (and how he acts because of who he is) (Relational statements 2: 8-10):
· He is good and upright - (actions) therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. (7)
· He guides the humble in what is right – (actions) and teaches them his way.
· He is loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Fourth, “So God – here are my sins, forgive me” (Request 2 – verse 11):
· Forgive my iniquity (though it is great), for the sake of your name, (11)
Fifth, “Hey everybody - Here’s what God does for those who fear/respect him) (Relational statements 3 – verses 12-13):
· He will instruct them [those who fear the Lord] in the ways they should choose.
· They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.
· He confides in those who fear him and makes his covenant known to them.
And if you don’t think that’s personal enough read on where David states being lonely, afflicted and troubled.
I’m learning to be personal with God, to pray, and remind others about who God is. So, here’s what I know so far: I’m trusting him a little more, we can ask him for help, He’s good, loving, guides those who are humble and respect Him, and He forgives.
by Jonathan Legg
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