PSALM 25 – Introduction – Part One
Psalm 25 – INTRODUCTION
Part One
A PSALM OF AN ELDER
“To You, O Jehovah, I lift up my soul”
Psalm 25:1
This Psalm was written well into the latter years of David’s life. It is a Psalm of a man who had an extensive history with his God; a man who had known great triumphs, great experiences on the field of battle with outward foes, and the harsh experiences of treachery from within. We also see the traces of sorrow for his own dismal failures and tragic losses wherein he is freed from the boasting of his love for God or his reliance upon his own strength.
This is the expression of a seasoned and learned man in regards to the depravity of man and the faithfulness of God. Theologians often term this Psalm as the second of the seven Penitential Psalms. In the reading of this Psalm, there is the fragrance of a soft and broken heart from one who has come to total reliance upon his God. The experiences of life have etched deep within the very fabric of his soul the graces and beauty of the tapestry of God’s own handiwork.
“To You, O Jehovah, I lift up my soul”
Psalm 25:1
In our own journey with God, we grow through the experiences of life. The growth comes as we discover God’s Face in every situation. In the seeing of Him, we must inevitably see ourselves. For He is the great mirror of truth shining forth into our lives the reflection and wonder of all that which He is whereby we are changed from one glory into another.
“But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord”
2Corinthians 3:18
The eternal imprint of a heart that has been the recipient of grace, truth, and mercy is evident in the first verses of this Psalm. “Unto You O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul”! We see David lifting up to His great and personal Shepherd the keeping and preserving of His soul. These words are filled with the dependence and utter trust to which David has now come. He no longer seeks help or places his hope in anything other than God. How well we know through our own varied experiences touches of this grand truth: “God is Faithful”.
This one verse, when learned within the heart of a child of God, becomes the anchor and rock to which we can cling in every situation. The power of this verse takes on even greater significance when we read it within the context of David’s life. It is good to pause here and consider the truth of this certainty as we contemplate David’s full story. Few of men’s lives are depicted more fully in the scriptures as is David’s. God took great pains in describing, in a very transparent manner, the highs and lows of all the pages of David’s life. All of this is the canvas upon which God paints the beauty of this one central truth, the faithfulness of God. How good and precious are His ways with us.
May this opening verse be held with boundless wonder as we walk the path of following and loving our faithful God.
“Beginning well is a momentary thing;
finishing well is a lifelong thing.”
RZ
Psalm 25 Series: Psalm 25 –
Psalm 25 – Introduction – Part Two
Psalm 25 – Introduction – Part Three
Psalm 25 – Part Four – Trust
Psalm 25 – Aleph
Brian Troxel
