What Am I To Do?
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Introduction
Introduction
We all have to make decisions in life. Some sources suggest that the average person will make 35,000 choices per day. Assuming a 7 hour sleep schedule that means 2,000 decisions per hour or even more finely refined one decision every two seconds. You and I have been given free-will and a multitude of choices in life.
What to eat
What to wear
What to spend money on
What jobs and careers we pursue
How to vote
Who to spend our time with
What we will say
How we will say it
etc
Every choice we make carries with it consequences both good and bad. This ability to choose is an incredible and exciting power we have been entrusted with by our God for which we have an obligation to be good stewards of. 20th century philosopher Albert Camus said “Life is a sum of all your choices.” 35,000 choices a day makes 12,775,000 choices a year and if we extrapolate that over the general assumed course of a life of 70 years that comes out to 894,250,000 choices. Put those 894,250,000 choices together and that is who you are.
The reality of it is many of those choices don’t necessarily make up who your are, it is the choices made in the hard circumstances of life. The choices made that take longer than two seconds to decide. The choices we make to follow what we discern as God’s will. The decisions that affect us and not only but those who are around us as well. How do we make those tough decisions especially that are born out of times of difficulty? Those times where we dont know what to do? Where do we turn when faced with the question what am I to do?
Psalm 25 is a Psalm of David in which David is coming to the Lord in dependence upon Him. It is David’s heart as a God-fearing man on display in a season of crisis and hard times. The Psalm pictures life and its choices as a difficult journey that we cannot navigate successfully on our own. Psychologist M. Scott Peck wrote “Once we truly know that life is difficult— once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult.” David knew that the path of life was not easy and so lets see where he turned when faced with the question of what am I to do?
1 Lord, I appeal to you. 2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. 3 No one who waits for you will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
4 Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long. 6 Remember, Lord, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord. 8 The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. 11 Lord, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense. 12 Who is this person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose.
13 He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them. 15 My eyes are always on the Lord, for he will pull my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. 17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings. 18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently. 20 Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you. 21 May integrity and what is right watch over me, for I wait for you. 22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.
Trust In God Alone
Trust In God Alone
1 Lord, I appeal to you. 2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. 3 No one who waits for you will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
It cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt but David could have potentially written this psalm after his sin with Bathsheba and during the rebellion with Absalom. What terrible, difficult and confusing time for David. He shows great trust in God by coming to the Lord and it is through prayer that David comes to the Lord in trust. In his trouble David says LORD I appeal to You. Th phrase is quite interesting. When you appeal to someone it indicates a desire to arouse a sympathetic response or to make an earnest request. Appeal is also related to take a lower courts decision to a higher court for review. Lastly when we appeal we call upon another for corroboration, vindication or for DECISION.
The original language indicates David as saying to you I lift my soul. Appeal is essa and it means to raise from a lower to a higher position, lift up and raise high. Other may turn to horoscopes, tarot cards, or other means of divination to make their decisions, but these are only manufactured substitutes for God - false idols. David is lifting his heart to the Lord are the only true source of decision. In the dark and confusing hours of life when we dont know what we are to do, we must lift ourselves in appeal to our God, there is no higher authority. We must find our encouragement and strength in our Lord and God.
6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
It has been said by many “if the outlook is bleak, try the uplook.”
David continues on and says my God I trust in You. I believe in and I place faith and am full of confidence in You. The list ends there, David trusts no one by God his trust is in God alone. In his trust David says do not let me be disgraced and do not let my enemies gloat over me (do not let them have victory and power over me). No one who waits for you will be disgraced. Now disgraced is the sense of being ashamed or embarrassed or even full of remorse.
David stressed His confidence in turning to the LORD. He lifted up his soul without shame and confidently declares the truth that no one who waits upon the LORD will be put to shame. The one who waits is one who hopes in and trusts confidently in regards to the future. The LORD will answer and meet the needs of the one who waits upon Him. No one will be let down or disappointed coming to find they trusted in something later proven unworthy.
23 Kings will be your guardians and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who put their hope in me will not be put to shame.
5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Waiting upon the LORD is not passive either, to wait upon the LORD is to be active in service to the LORD. Not a waiting room but the waiting of a server attending the needs of the one being served.
Those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
Seek the Lord’s Path
Seek the Lord’s Path
4 Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long. 6 Remember, Lord, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord. 8 The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. 11 Lord, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.
12 Who is this person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose. 13 He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them.
I think in order to avoid acting treacherously in hard times and following worldly wisdom that says that the ends justify the means or seeks vengeance when vengeance is the Lord’s we see David as he has turned to God is now seeking to know God’s ways. It makes no sense to turn to God if we are going to keep going in our own way, we must seek God’s ways. David asks God to make His ways known to him and asks the LORD to teach him His paths. This indicates that God’s ways require instruction and learning. In order to make the right decisions to follow the right path you have to be headed the right way. We know in scripture there are two paths in life. Unfortunately its true all roads lead to God but only one path is the right path or the path of righteousness. No one happens upon this path by mistake or accident this path is learned and must be shown.
12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
25 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
Instruction and guidance is emphasized in order to be on the right path. Guide me in your truth and teach me. God shows sinners the way and leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. The word of God and the revealed truth of God are the main instruments that God uses to instruct, teach and guide.
20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel.
The Lord instructs us, but he instructs us through his word. If you want to know God’s guidance, get in His word.
It is not enough to be instructed though. Seeking the way of the Lord does nothing if He guides us but we do not follow. Obedience is a necessary part to seeking the Lord’s path. David says in verse 10 that ALL the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. The decrees and the covenant summed up in the law or torah later expanded to be the law and the prophets. Those two words and the word of God speak of obedience. Since David turned to the Lord trusting in Him only it wasn’t a huge leap to trust the Lord in obedience also. David meditated on the position of the Lord - He is the God of His salvation. If in salvation He could be trusted why not in obedience to His guidance and instruction. David also meditated on the character of God - verse 8. The LORD is good and upright, these two words denote moral excellence and moral rightness. He always says and does what is right and God can be trusted to guide those who obey His word.
Elisabeth Elliott, who’s written a lot on guidance, and of course she was the widow of Jim Elliott, that martyr missionary from the last century—Elisabeth Elliott said this. “Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying the thing that lies before us today? How many momentous events in Scripture depended on one person’s seemingly small act of obedience? Rest assured: do what God tells you to do now, and depend upon it, you will be shown what to do next.”
It is important to obey, it is not enough to know, but what we know must be applied and put into practice in our lives or it is useless to us. How does one begin to obey? Verse 9 David shares how obedience begins with those who are humble.
The path of the Lord is found in His mercy. David calls upon the Lord to remember His compassion and faithful love - hesed. He says they have existed since antiquity (since the beginning). In contrast to remembering Your love and compassion Lord David asks the Lord to forget his sin and rebellion. Horne rightly stated “when God remembers His mercy He forgets our sins.” David invites the Lord to remember him on in keeping with His faithful love and because of His own goodness. David knows He doesnt have any reason to stand before the Lord in his own right, but since He has been learned of the Lord He is walking the path the Lord has shown and is approaching on that path of mercy and humility before the Lord. For the sake of you name Lord forgive my iniquity for it is immense - verse 11. David comes on the right path with the right application in obedience asking and seeking forgiveness of the Lord.
When seeking forgiveness we are not seeking for ignorance of our sin or excuse of our sin or even to shrink our sin. Forgiveness for sin is found when we rightly identify our sin and its greatness. Our sin is great because of whom it is against. Our sin is great because it is against just and fair laws. Our sin is great for we bear the image of God and our sin is great because of the sheer number of our sins. Freedom and peace comes from acknowledging our great sin. The greater we see our sin as being the greater our Savior will be to us as well.
Instruction, obedience and mercy coming together in one who is humble creates one who fears the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge according to proverbs.
33 The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches, and humility comes before honor.
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
Fear of the Lord is the awe at the majesty of God, the reverence of the greatness of God this is not a cowering in the presence of God. Fear of the Lord comes when we realize who God is and what He did for us and the mark of one who fears the Lord is one who is humble before God. God leads and instructs those who fear Him and God also reveals His secret counsel and covenant to them.
14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.
He leads those who fear him, includes them and directs them - and those who fear the Lord are led, and directed and included with Him.
Don’t expect that God is going to guide you and direct you and reveal Himself to you if you don’t fear him. God isn’t a genie we just rub our bibles and expect to get our wishes granted. No, we are relating to the Creator God, the true and the living God, to a holy God, to a God full of majesty and of glory. It’s only when we fear Him, only when we get to know Him as He has revealed Himself, that we receive His instruction and guidance. It is only those who fear God who will stick to the Lord’s path anyway, all others will be driven from the path by whatever else they fear.
Know The Lord Is Able To Deliver
Know The Lord Is Able To Deliver
15 My eyes are always on the Lord, for he will pull my feet out of the net. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. 17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.
18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently. 20 Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and what is right watch over me, for I wait for you. 22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.
The dominate theme of the Psalm is the idea of waiting David mentions waiting upon the Lord in verse 3 and it is reiterated in verse 21. Here starting in verse 15 again the idea of David shifting His eyes and what he is looking to for help is the Lord. The idea is his eyes are now and forever on the Lord and especially for the future. David waits upon the Lord because he knows the Lord is able to deliver. When you know the Lord is able to deliver then it is a natural response to wait upon the Lord.
No matter where you have walked the Lord is able to save your feet. You may feel alone in your affliction but the Lord is there. As the distresses of your heart increase He can bring you out of your sufferings. In your affliction and troubles He can forgive ALL your sins. Though your enemies are numerous and hate you and wish to do violence, He will guard and rescue you.
The Lord can deliver - lonlieness, heart ache, broken heart, regrets, despair the Lord can deliver you. So far in this great psalm, David has been talking to God (25:1–7) and talking about God (25:8–14). In the final verses, he wrote about keeping his eyes on God (25:15) even when surrounded by great troubles and distresses. Our hearts are touched as we read his closing prayer requests. In spite of his serious trials, he firmly declared that he was trusting in God for help and deliverance.
When you know the Lord is able to deliver, then you will wait for the Lord and His help. To wait is to quiet our hearts before Him, seeking Him with diligence. Hope in the Lord and wait for Him before making choices and decisions and beware rash decisions. Part of receiving God’s guidance is learning to wait on Him. Present difficulty or even disappointment will not prevent us from seeking and trusting and serving God.
When we trust the Lord is able to deliver it frees us up to care about and for others as well. Difficulty and confusion in the life of the believer can lead one to focus entirely on themselves and their own situation. David shows a remarkable example as while in the midst of difficulty he prayed for the nation of Israel to be redeemed from its own distresses.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Hard times, difficult times, confusing times will come and they can come from our own sin or not. When they come we must turn to the Lord to seek Him and His path. That He might teach us of course in order be taught we must be and we must remain teachable. “I know...” is the answer of the unteachable.
Sometimes those who are lost at what to do and what direction to take, they say they dont know God’s will or where God is leading. Have you been following Him so far? Do you spend time in His word learning His ways and His paths? Do you obey what you do know? God is not obligated to reveal and share His counsel with us if we are not going to obey the direction He has given.
All who fear the Lord will flourish in life. They will know the direction of God, live a good life. This however does not exempt from suffering and difficulty.
In the middle of trials and troubles you have no choice but to wait it out. You learn to wait upon the Lord and trust that He is with you and will never leave you. Each experience gives new light to the hope God is with you and is faithful. This means you can trust in God an not disgrace yourself by trying to manipulate situations and just rest in peace that God is in absolute control
6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.