- Dec 22, 2023
- 1,765
- 1,500
- 64
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Private
"The Lord confides in those who fear Him" from Psalm 25.
100% Truth, folks.
Fear: Respect, follow, seek ever to obey - *listen* for His voice.
•••••
Consider a few things about King David (the author of Psalm 25), if you will.
Most leaders of countries expend great effort in maintaining a polished image of self-sufficency and confidence in their righteousness - and employ an army of handlers to spit-shine that outward appearance and keep it as pristine as possible - heaping praise upon their hero's every word and deed.
And the leader laps it all up - ever seeking to glorify themselves and hide or deny their glaring imperfections.
Ah... the human condition. The curse of the sin nature we all inherit.
And then there's David, the shepherd boy become King. So many of his beautiful Psalms (songs) are recorded in Scripture - and realize that David handed these over to his chief musicians to perform publicly before all of his subjects - and lead them in worship of Israel's God.
The lyrics reveal a man who grieved over and openly confessed his great sins, experienced periods of profound depression when he couldn't perceive the nearness of his God, and strove mightily with fear and anxiety because of his numerous enemies. A man of war and yet at times the fraility of a child.
But notice also, the profound awe and respect He had towards God. He understood that God is a God of justice - but received by faith - was also his very Redeemer.
These songs are prolific with praise and adoration - and provide joyful revelations of God's own heart - of grace, mercy, compassion and love for His Creation.
For you and me.
Such an imperfect man - yet bestowed with the eternal honor of warming up the throne for the Man/God who would follow in his lineage - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.
Holy Scripture refers to David as a "man after God's own heart." I figure that it is because he learned through experience what was perhaps the most important command to keep to ensure consistent intimacy with the Living God:
Psalm 51:6 KJV
"Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."
Why was David so transparent before God and man? Because he genuinely wanted to share with everyone great and small how to have that same intimacy with God. It's all about receiving His love, and purposefully passing it on.
Don't let your heart be hardened
Don't let your love grow cold
May it always stay so childlike
May it never grow too old
Don't let your heart be hardened
May you always know the Cure
Keep it broken
Before Jesus
Keep it thankful, meek and pure.
- Petra
•••••
Psalm 25 NIV
Of David
"1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, 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, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
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
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their 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 Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.
22 Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!"
biblegateway.com
100% Truth, folks.
Fear: Respect, follow, seek ever to obey - *listen* for His voice.
•••••
Consider a few things about King David (the author of Psalm 25), if you will.
Most leaders of countries expend great effort in maintaining a polished image of self-sufficency and confidence in their righteousness - and employ an army of handlers to spit-shine that outward appearance and keep it as pristine as possible - heaping praise upon their hero's every word and deed.
And the leader laps it all up - ever seeking to glorify themselves and hide or deny their glaring imperfections.
Ah... the human condition. The curse of the sin nature we all inherit.
And then there's David, the shepherd boy become King. So many of his beautiful Psalms (songs) are recorded in Scripture - and realize that David handed these over to his chief musicians to perform publicly before all of his subjects - and lead them in worship of Israel's God.
The lyrics reveal a man who grieved over and openly confessed his great sins, experienced periods of profound depression when he couldn't perceive the nearness of his God, and strove mightily with fear and anxiety because of his numerous enemies. A man of war and yet at times the fraility of a child.
But notice also, the profound awe and respect He had towards God. He understood that God is a God of justice - but received by faith - was also his very Redeemer.
These songs are prolific with praise and adoration - and provide joyful revelations of God's own heart - of grace, mercy, compassion and love for His Creation.
For you and me.
Such an imperfect man - yet bestowed with the eternal honor of warming up the throne for the Man/God who would follow in his lineage - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.
Holy Scripture refers to David as a "man after God's own heart." I figure that it is because he learned through experience what was perhaps the most important command to keep to ensure consistent intimacy with the Living God:
Psalm 51:6 KJV
"Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."
Why was David so transparent before God and man? Because he genuinely wanted to share with everyone great and small how to have that same intimacy with God. It's all about receiving His love, and purposefully passing it on.
Don't let your heart be hardened
Don't let your love grow cold
May it always stay so childlike
May it never grow too old
Don't let your heart be hardened
May you always know the Cure
Keep it broken
Before Jesus
Keep it thankful, meek and pure.
- Petra
•••••
Psalm 25 NIV
Of David
"1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, 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, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
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
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their 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 Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.
22 Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!"
biblegateway.com
