Advent Meditations: "To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul."
Psalm 25:1-10
25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
25:2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
25:3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
25:6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
-------------------------------------
Would you believe me if I told you that, through an unknown prophet, God brought this Psalm to my attention, when I needed – really needed -- a word from the Lord, and a prayer of guidance for myself? It’s true. Do not refuse to believe that God speaks to us today. He does --in lots of different ways, through lots of different people, as of old. He speaks to day. To you and to me. We just need to listen for His voice, and be open to His communication. In living relationship with us, like in the best of human relationships, He communicates with us in loving, edifying ways. The Scriptures are our best bet on God’s word. Imagine that! But, along with other Christians, who walk in the faith, and all of God’s creation, and the providential circumstances of our lives. He is not a controlling God. But He is a loving, faithful one, who seeks us, and wants to be in living relationship with us.
The words of this Psalmist are true: “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.” In covenant relationship with Him, you discover He speaks, He guides, He teaches, He admonishes, He strengthens, He inspires, He protects. You know why? All because He loves you and me. But, just like you wouldn’t say that about a stranger, you won’t know that about God, unless you begin a relationship with Him.
He has an open invitation to each one of us to come into a loving, intimate relationship with Him. It’s up to us to respond. And, if you do, if you accept that invitation, He will astound you with His involvement in your life, in its intimacy, its steadfast love, its faithfulness, it’s grace.
You get the feeling that this psalmist, probably David, knew God like this. This is a deeply personal and intimate Psalm. It’s about God and David. A living relationship with God is like that – one on one. But God is God, and we are not. In this Psalm, David understands that. When you read this Psalm, you know also that this is not merely a Sabbath relationship. Neither is it a distant relationship, or sliced up relationship. This is not about a “spiritual” relationship. This is a way of life. David lifts up His soul to God, but He also wants to know God’s ways and paths and truth so that he can know how to live his life. He asks for God’s protection. He waits for the Lord ”all day long.” He trusts the Lord. He wants God to lead him and teach him. He recognizes God as his salvation. As a sinner, he’s counting on God’s forgiveness, and instruction, and on God’s leadership.
David knows and appeals to God’s character – mercy, steadfast love, faithfulness, good and upright. David also knows who he is: a sinner. He understands what’s required of him: humility. He needs to follow where God leads. He needs to keep God’s decrees and covenant in his life.
But, do you see? Do you see, how this is about everything? This is not just a “spiritual” journey for David. I think these days we sometimes see our relationship with God in a separate “spiritual” realm. We keep our faith matters on a special “God shelf.” But, that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Notice that David doesn’t qualify this instruction or leading. He doesn’t say, “God instruct me in matters of my faith.” “Lead me in the truth about my soul.” No. He seems to take it as a given that God’s leading and instructing, and showing of ways and paths is for his life.
God is God of our whole life. Yes, it begins with lifting up our soul to Him, who is our creator. But, it sure does not end there. “All day long,” David says he waits for the Lord. The nouns and verbs that David uses reflects that David actively seeks God’s instruction in His life, and is trusting and expecting God to be actively involved in his life: Leading, teaching, protecting, forgiving, instructing, making known his ways, and paths.
God is not a dictatorial tyrant. Like David, we will have to respond to His love, recognizing who He is, and how our best interests lie in trusting Him, and following where He leads. This Advent, let us practice waiting for the Lord, before we act. Waiting to know what He wants from us. Waiting to hear what He says to us. Waiting humbly to see where He leads us. Just like you probably wouldn’t attempt to work your newly acquired technological gadget without reading the instruction manual, simply because you want to make sure it works right, just like that, wait to hear from the Lord by reading His word, by communicating with Him, and see how He instructs you before “working” your life.
He’s the only way to get it right.
As the prophet reminded me, I remind you: “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”
Place yourself in the center of God’s will, remembering that “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.”
Count on it. Be in intimate relationship with the God of our salvation. This is not just about our souls. It’s about our lives. Wait for Him. He will be worth the wait.
25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
25:2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
25:3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
25:6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
-------------------------------------
Would you believe me if I told you that, through an unknown prophet, God brought this Psalm to my attention, when I needed – really needed -- a word from the Lord, and a prayer of guidance for myself? It’s true. Do not refuse to believe that God speaks to us today. He does --in lots of different ways, through lots of different people, as of old. He speaks to day. To you and to me. We just need to listen for His voice, and be open to His communication. In living relationship with us, like in the best of human relationships, He communicates with us in loving, edifying ways. The Scriptures are our best bet on God’s word. Imagine that! But, along with other Christians, who walk in the faith, and all of God’s creation, and the providential circumstances of our lives. He is not a controlling God. But He is a loving, faithful one, who seeks us, and wants to be in living relationship with us.
The words of this Psalmist are true: “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.” In covenant relationship with Him, you discover He speaks, He guides, He teaches, He admonishes, He strengthens, He inspires, He protects. You know why? All because He loves you and me. But, just like you wouldn’t say that about a stranger, you won’t know that about God, unless you begin a relationship with Him.
He has an open invitation to each one of us to come into a loving, intimate relationship with Him. It’s up to us to respond. And, if you do, if you accept that invitation, He will astound you with His involvement in your life, in its intimacy, its steadfast love, its faithfulness, it’s grace.
You get the feeling that this psalmist, probably David, knew God like this. This is a deeply personal and intimate Psalm. It’s about God and David. A living relationship with God is like that – one on one. But God is God, and we are not. In this Psalm, David understands that. When you read this Psalm, you know also that this is not merely a Sabbath relationship. Neither is it a distant relationship, or sliced up relationship. This is not about a “spiritual” relationship. This is a way of life. David lifts up His soul to God, but He also wants to know God’s ways and paths and truth so that he can know how to live his life. He asks for God’s protection. He waits for the Lord ”all day long.” He trusts the Lord. He wants God to lead him and teach him. He recognizes God as his salvation. As a sinner, he’s counting on God’s forgiveness, and instruction, and on God’s leadership.
David knows and appeals to God’s character – mercy, steadfast love, faithfulness, good and upright. David also knows who he is: a sinner. He understands what’s required of him: humility. He needs to follow where God leads. He needs to keep God’s decrees and covenant in his life.
But, do you see? Do you see, how this is about everything? This is not just a “spiritual” journey for David. I think these days we sometimes see our relationship with God in a separate “spiritual” realm. We keep our faith matters on a special “God shelf.” But, that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Notice that David doesn’t qualify this instruction or leading. He doesn’t say, “God instruct me in matters of my faith.” “Lead me in the truth about my soul.” No. He seems to take it as a given that God’s leading and instructing, and showing of ways and paths is for his life.
God is God of our whole life. Yes, it begins with lifting up our soul to Him, who is our creator. But, it sure does not end there. “All day long,” David says he waits for the Lord. The nouns and verbs that David uses reflects that David actively seeks God’s instruction in His life, and is trusting and expecting God to be actively involved in his life: Leading, teaching, protecting, forgiving, instructing, making known his ways, and paths.
God is not a dictatorial tyrant. Like David, we will have to respond to His love, recognizing who He is, and how our best interests lie in trusting Him, and following where He leads. This Advent, let us practice waiting for the Lord, before we act. Waiting to know what He wants from us. Waiting to hear what He says to us. Waiting humbly to see where He leads us. Just like you probably wouldn’t attempt to work your newly acquired technological gadget without reading the instruction manual, simply because you want to make sure it works right, just like that, wait to hear from the Lord by reading His word, by communicating with Him, and see how He instructs you before “working” your life.
He’s the only way to get it right.
As the prophet reminded me, I remind you: “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”
Place yourself in the center of God’s will, remembering that “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.”
Count on it. Be in intimate relationship with the God of our salvation. This is not just about our souls. It’s about our lives. Wait for Him. He will be worth the wait.
posted by Ruth at 1:03 AM
2 Comments:
Ruth: I love what you're writing here, and the depth of intimacy it reveals. Thank you for challenging me to go deeper in my own faith. I like the line in this Psalm where David says, "Do not remember the sins of my youth," and then he says, "Remember me..." I like to put the emphasis on the word "me." Don't remember what I've done, David says. Remember who I am, who you made me to be, and who I have the potential to be yet.
I'm counting on God's selective memory.
Just like the buses - you wait for ages and then two come at once! we enjoy your posts - keep them coming.
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