David’s Question
Unto thee, O LORD do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee:
let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed
which transgress without cause.
Psalm 25:1-3
Read Psalm 25
For the last three days of this month we wish to examine Psalm 25, which
was written by David. What if you compared yourself to him? I realize this
might be difficult, for he was the king of Israel, the man after God’s own
heart. Do we even dare compare ourselves to him?
Is this an accurate and true image of David? In Psalm 25, David opened his
heart; he did not feel so competent and strong. In the opening verses of this
psalm, he confessed that he was being challenged by enemies who laid in
wait for him. He did not just keep a stiff upper lip and say: Just you wait; I
will get the better of them. Instead, he called upon the Name of the Lord.
Thereby, he showed that he felt weak in himself and expected help from the
Lord alone.
In this psalm, we get the impression that David experienced the adversity of
enemies because he was a king who feared God and relied upon Him. Perhaps
you can associate with this. Because you are a Christian, your peers
look at you differently. Sometimes you may experience hostility simply because
of your profession. If you have close relationships with these individuals,
whether at school or in the work place, such animosity is not pleasant.
Then you need to do what David did: Ask the Lord to guide you and be your
support, to protect you from your adversaries. He is able to do it!
Thought: Does the fact that you profess to be a Christian impede your studies
or your work? Do you openly confess your faith or do you conceal it?
Psalter 415:1 (based on Psalm 25)
Unto Thee, O Lord Jehovah,
Do I lift my waiting soul.
O my God, in Thee I trusted;
Let no shame now o’er me roll.
On my enemy be shame,
Oft without a cause transgressing;
But all those who trust Thy Name,
Honor with abundant blessing.