Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Psalm 25

Walking out our faith through everyday, practical life-application of God’s will, comes with multiple challenges. Psalm 25 recognises that one of the first challenges is accurately discerning the will and the ways of the Lord. Life is complex. People and situations can be confusing; and even our own thoughts and feelings can muddy the waters. Often we find ourselves wrestling with questions like: ‘What exactly does God want me to do? How does he want me to approach this or that situation?’

Through Psalm 25, the Holy Spirit points us to the key attitude of humble trust in the LORD. Without humility we will not be in a position to receive God’s Word and His guidance. And without trust, we will remain paralysed and compromised.

The Psalmist pleads for guidance in v.4-5. He longs to know the truth about God’s ways for him. And then he receives a beautiful revelation and is reminded that the LORD “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (v.9) and that He will instruct “those who fear Him” (v.12) in the ways they should choose.

To receive and understand the Lord’s guidance for our daily lives it is vital that we first “fear the Lord” in the sense of longing to please Him in every way, and also bring ourselves to God in the absolute humility that knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God alone knows what is best for us. God cannot guide those who think they know better than Him, because when that is our attitude we will not receive His instructions, and we certainly will not obey it.

LORD, I come to you now in humble trust, and in the words of Psalm 25 I pray: Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long. Amen.