“Make me know Your ways, O Lord.” Psalm 25:4-8 [NASB]
The
psalmist in these verses was brave. He issued imperative statements to God. Instead
of thinking of verses 4-8 and 14-20 as commands to God, we should consider them
as pleas from someone who feared his enemies and his own sinfulness.
Consider
this idea from today’s point of view. When a child goes to his or her parent and
demands ice cream or a new toy, often that demand is unfilled. If that child
calls out, “Help me!” recognition is there of who the parent has been for that
child in the past and what the strong connection is between them, then issues
forth in a cry or plea to do what the parent does better than the child, help.
The
psalmist did that. His seven imperative statements in these four verses are
cries for help. Why did he cry for help? He recognized his inability to help
himself. More importantly, he recognized God could help him. How did the
psalmist realize God could help him? He understood this because he had life
experience with God before or knew of people who did. Either way, the psalmist knew
about God-His ways, truth, salvation, faithfulness, love, mercy, kindness,
compassion, and forgiveness.
The
psalmist recognized something else about himself besides his lack of power,
wisdom, and might, and he openly admitted it. He acknowledged his sins and
transgressions-his turning away from God and his rebellious life. The psalmist
knew he had turned away from God. That realization means he knew God. The hymn
writer had a relationship with Him but had turned his back on God and walked in
his own rebellious ways. We each do that. Paul said in Romans 3:23, “For all
have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
These
things established the basis for the psalmist’s plea. For what did he ask? Did
he ask for a mansion or sports car? Did he ask for a big paycheck or huge
inheritance? No, at that moment, and like most of us when our backs are against
the wall, the psalmist recognized his departure from God and begged for God to
restore him to a right relationship with Him.
In verse
four, this sinful man, whose enemies chased him, begged God to help him
recognize, acknowledge, consider, and confess God and His ways. This was the first
step. It was a static request for the moment to help him see God, so he could
return to a right relationship with Him. The psalmist did not ask God to help
him only at that time. He asked God to “teach” him His paths. This teaching is
not a static once-off event, but a dynamic event that God skillfully taught, and
the psalmist practiced as he walked with Him daily in His ways and in the
manner of life He led. The first thing the psalmist pleaded God for was to
“know” His ways. Next, he asked God to “teach” him His paths. Many of us only
want help to get unstuck from the hole we cannot escape. We are like the car
with a tire bogged in the mud. We try everything to get the car out of the
hole. We rev the engine so much in our attempt to get the car to move that we
make the muddy hole deeper and we gain no traction. The psalmist understood in
his heart he needed and wanted more than a band-aid to help him out for now. He
recognized his need to walk with God and learn from him daily.
For what
else did the psalmist plead to God? Consider he asked God to lead him in His
paths in verse four. Recognizing the paths as God’s teaching him, he recognized
the truths of God, true. God is faithful and truthful. The psalmist pleaded for
God to bend, mold, and lead him in His truthfulness and faithfulness so he would
become like Him. He recognized his sinfulness-his lack of faithfulness and
integrity to God and other people. Once again, the psalmist pleaded for God to
teach him-to walk with him daily teaching him and helping him put it into
practice. This requires and creates a growing relationship with the Lord. The psalmist
punctuated his desire for a relationship by the end of this verse when he said,
“For You I wait all day long.” This hymn writer declared his desire to be with
God and grow in his relationship with Him.
The
psalmist recognized another thing so many people shutter themselves not to see.
He recognized and admitted God is his salvation. This hymn writer said, God is
his deliverance and rescue from sin and death. With this great “Ah Ha,” the desire
of this hymn-singer’s heart echoed through history. “You, O God, are my
salvation. You are my strength. Teach me Your ways. I desire to be with You
daily.”
With
verse six, the psalmist’s recognition of his sinfulness and God’s righteousness
glared in his face. He begged God to remember His compassion and
lovingkindness-His deep mercy and love, and His faithful kindness and favor.
The psalmist realized He did not deserve God’s kindness and favor, but he
begged God to remember who He has always been. God’s grace is written through
the pages of history, from Adam until God’s kingdom comes. Many times, people
deserved judgment for their hateful ways, but God had mercy on them, on us, and
showed kindness instead of judgment. This kindness and mercy is of what the
psalmist asked God to remember and apply it to himself and his own sinfulness.
Consider
a child whose parent told her not to touch the vase from the time she could
walk. As she grows and can reach the vase more easily, she keeps touching it. Each
time, her parent said, “No.” Finally, she is big enough to pick it up, and then
drop it. That is sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves punishment. All
the times the parent said “No” when the child touched it is like when God gives
mercy and kindness to the sinners. The psalmist pleaded for God to have mercy and
kindness on him, the same mercy He showed to people from ages past-ancient
days.
With
verse seven, the psalmist begged God more. This verse is a negative reiteration
of verse six. He stated it for emphasis. “Do not recall or consider the sins of
my youth or the rebellious acts that broke Your trust in me,” he said. The
psalmist knows he sinned. He recognized God’s righteousness and begged for His
mercy and kindness. The hymn writer restated verse six with a twist. He did
what every person and everything is supposed to do-bring glory to God. The
psalmist said, “Remember and recall all your mercies and kindness from past
generations and consider them with regard to me, not that I deserve Your mercy and
kindness, but so that the nations may hear again how great, merciful, and kind
You are.”
Consider
this possibility. When you forgive your colleague at work repeatedly and the
whole company knows the problem the colleague has given you, they consider you
are justified to attack that person. Is it okay to attack or deride the person?
You are justified according to humanly standards. Yet, you consider the person and
what he or she did, and instead you forgive him/her again. What rings out from
that action? Mercy. Kindness. Wonder. Who is the colleague who would forgive so
many times? Does it have to do with his/her belief in God? This worker
astounded his/her colleagues. What this worker did for the colleague who kept
causing problems at work is what the psalmist asked God to do for him. Forgive
him for his name’s sake. More importantly, he/she pointed toward God with
his/her actions. The worker forgave his colleague for God’s name sake. God received the glory.
We don’t
deserve help from God. We don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, mercy, compassion,
love, salvation, or grace. It’s a good thing God doesn’t always give what we deserve.
Paul said in Romans 10:13, “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord
will be saved.” The psalmist realized he was not strong enough to defeat his
enemies. He understood one band-aid would not fix the problem every day. The
hymn writer recognized he needed God to walk with him daily teaching him. More
importantly, the psalmist recognized his sinfulness and his need for salvation
that can only come from God. He begged for God’s mercy, not because he deserved
it, but because of God’s fame from the past and His glory now and forever. The
psalmist asked for salvation because of who God is not because of who he
was. That is the basis of our salvation. We come to God knowing He is the Savior and we are sinners. We come
to Him repenting and asking for His divine forgiveness and mercy. He says come.
Lord, I do not deserve Your love or mercy. I
do not deserve forgiveness for all I have done wrong against You and other
people. Still, I come to You anyway asking for Your forgiveness and for
salvation from sin and death. Lord, You are the Savior. Please save me, remake
me, and walk with me daily teaching me Your ways. Amen.
