Psalm 25

And turn to Psalm 25. I'm going to read it for us and then I'm going to hand over to Sim who is going to explain it for us, preach from it.

So let's read Psalm 25 of David.

In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Show me your ways, Lord. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways. According to your love, remember me.

For you, Lord, are good. Good and upright is the Lord.

Therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who then are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

They will spend their days in prosperity and their descendants will inherit the land.

The Lord confides in those who fear him. He makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me.

Guard my life and rescue me.

Do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.

Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles.

Simeon, over to you.

Wonderful. Good evening.

Should we pray as we look at God's word together?

Gracious Father, we just thank you so much for your word.

We thank you that we can trust it.

Lord, that it is a light to our path.

And we pray that you would speak to us from it now, that you would humble us,

give us hearts that are willing to listen and change.

Lord, would I lead us in it well?

And point to you for your glory.

Amen.

Well, waiting isn't always easy, is it?

Waiting for that light to turn green when you're in a hurry.

Or when you're hungry, so hungry.

And waiting for that McDonald's order number to appear on the screen.

Or needing the toilet when there's no place to go.

Waiting, it's not easy.

And David, the writer of our psalm, he's waiting.

And maybe you caught the repeated word hope in the passage.

Like in verse 21, my hope, Lord, is in you.

And that's the waiting.

And ESV literally puts it, I wait for you.

And it's not a fingers crossed hope.

It's an eager expectation and waiting.

It's like the groom waiting at the front of the church, waiting for his bride to arrive.

Eager expectation.

I think Hannah made me wait about 20 minutes.

So, not too bad.

Could have been shorter, to be fair.

But that's eager expectation.

It's what Christians are doing today, isn't it?

Waiting.

We've been forgiven.

We've been made right with God.

We're headed for eternal glory.

But we're not there yet.

And so we're praying, come Lord Jesus, bring us home.

But that waiting's not easy, is it?

Because our lives, they look so far from glory.

We suffer, we doubt, we sin.

Maybe you're related to David as you heard the psalm.

He wants deliverance from his suffering, from loneliness, affliction, a troubled heart, enemies.

What is it that you want deliverance from right now?

Struggles at work, illnesses, strained relationships.

We probably all have something.

We suffer and we doubt.

Maybe David's words in verse 2 struck home for you.

Don't let me be put to shame.

Well, shame here is not about being embarrassed.

It's being exposed as someone whose trust has been utterly misplaced.

It's like the groom left at the altar.

It's like a drowning swimmer who the lifeguard hasn't answered the call of.

They've been let down by what they trusted in.

They've been exposed as in the wrong.

And I wonder, do we ever worry that our trust has been misplaced?

I know that I do.

What if I deceive myself?

What if I've got God wrong?

Is Jesus really worth trusting?

And ultimately, we want to know that we won't be put to shame on judgment day, right?

We want to be not just delivered from suffering, but saved from hell.

Saved from hell, given eternal life instead.

Will we be put to shame?

But the stakes are really high, aren't they?

And so that's why we really need Psalm 25 today.

It's a psalm for those that are waiting.

It's full of prayers and promises made to be meditated.

And meditated on, memorized, recited.

It shows us what we need while we wait.

And what do we need?

Well, we can sum it up in one verse, thankfully,

because anything else would be a bit too complicated for me.

So, verse 1.

In you, Lord, my God, I put my trust.

I need to trust my God.

David, the king of Israel, he's saying,

I lift up my soul to you.

He's trusting his whole self to the Lord.

He's staking all of his life on his promises.

And he's claiming God to be his.

Did you see it?

You are my God.

Like a child saying, you are my mum.

It's a deeply trusting relationship.

And we too can claim God as ours, right?

We're in his people.

If we're trusting Jesus, we're under the perfect king.

That king that David was a small picture of.

If we're under Jesus, we can pray this too.

In you, Lord, my God, I put my trust.

He is everything I am.

My life, my dreams, my possessions, my friendships, my troubles too.

And my eternity.

I will trust you with all of it.

No backup safety options.

This is the way not to be put to shame.

Verse 3 tells us that.

No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame.

So that's it, really.

That's all we need.

That's what we can have in our hearts this week.

When waiting is hard.

I need to trust my God.

So we've got the answer.

But we haven't really seen what that looks like, have we?

And Psalm 25 really is that trust in action.

So as we dive a little deeper into these prayers and promises, I hope that we'll learn not just that we need what we need to trust God for, but also how trustworthy and good he is.

Shall we see what that trust looks like?

It's a trust that prays three things.

Three things that we rely on God for as we wait.

And we'll be taking the psalm as a whole for these.

So hopefully you can keep with me as we dot around a little bit.

So three prayers.

First, we need to trust God for guidance.

So take a look.

Verse four and five.

Show me your ways, Lord.

Teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth.

And teach me.

For you are God, my savior.

And my hope is in you all the day long.

So David trusts that God's way is best and that he needs to follow it.

But he's dependent on God to lead him in what is right.

He's like a child walking with his father and reaching out his hand to be led.

He knows that he can't do it without him.

And wonderfully, God promises to follow through.

Verses eight to ten.

Good and upright is the Lord.

Good.

Therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right.

He teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the covenant, the demands of his covenant.

So because God is good, he'll instruct, guide, teach those who are sinful and suffering in his way.

And Jesus shows us what these upright ways look like.

In fact, he is the way for sinners, isn't he?

He's the perfect life.

And his perfect life is the model that God is teaching.

So this is actually deeper than God promising to guide in big decision making about career and marriage.

And for me, struggles to decide which takeaway to order.

He actually said he doesn't promise obvious answers to these.

But it's a promise to guide us to be like Jesus.

Perfectly trusting God.

Becoming loving, self-sacrificial, forgiving.

God works all things for those that love him so that we'd be conformed to the image of his son.

That's Romans 8.

But how does this doing what is right, being like Jesus, how does that help us when it's hard?

When we're suffering or doubting?

Well, so many ways.

Can I show you a few reasons why becoming like Jesus helps us when waiting is hard?

So verse 12, it signals that we're his.

Who then are those who fear the Lord?

He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

So like the pulse shows that the heart is beating,

wanting what God wants gives us assurance as we wait.

Being led Jesus' way is actually a sign that we've already started living with him.

Verse 13, it also gives us assurance of future blessing.

They will spend their days in prosperity and their descendants will inherit the land.

This is the good life.

Think of the richest person on earth.

I don't actually know who that is.

But this life doesn't compare to this good life.

The life that they have doesn't compare to this good life.

And it's not just the land of Canaan promised for ancient Israel,

but Jesus showed us that the true fulfillment of this promise is far greater

than the riches and land of this world.

It's an eternal life with him.

And so we can wait with confidence knowing all of our promises,

all of God's promises are ours in Jesus.

Look at verse 14 then.

Our next reason, it gives us friendship with the Lord.

So the Lord confides in those who fear him.

He makes his covenant known to them.

He befriends us and he walks with us.

Try to get your head around that.

Friends with the maker of the universe.

Walking with you every step by his spirit,

making known his ways to you in his word.

And making known to you all that you have in Jesus.

Can you trust God enough to call him your best friend?

I hope so.

Because surely this is the goal of life,

to walk with God in eternal friendship.

We get friendship with the Lord.

And we can't trust anything else.

Look at verse 15 with me.

My eyes are ever on the Lord,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

So we can't trust riches or relationships or entertainment.

They can't free us from our troubles.

We know it's true,

but we so often turn to them, don't we?

But walking God's way,

it guards us from looking to those things for freedom.

And it keeps us from despair when those things let us down.

So becoming like Jesus helps us wait.

Mostly because it reinforces our trust in him.

And lastly,

I just want to show you verse 20 and 21,

how it shows that our trust won't put us to shame.

So a life of integrity,

that is that his life would match what he believes.

That life of integrity would show

that his hope really is in the Lord and not himself.

It would show that he really won't be put to shame.

And that's what he's dependent on God to bring about.

So walking in our Savior's ways,

it shows that our trust won't put us to shame.

And doesn't following Jesus' example of obedience do that?

As we try to live cross-centered lives,

cross-shaped lives,

as we live for the life to come,

sacrifice for others,

as we're willing to face ridicule for him,

are we not being preserved from shame?

Because really, if you think about it,

our life exposes our trust, doesn't it?

Even when waiting is hard.

If I serve my spouse when I've got back pain,

it's a sign that I'm trusting Jesus' ways

are more important than my comfort.

If I get angry when I'm tired and I don't get my way,

it's a sign that maybe I don't fear the Lord as I should.

And wow, we need God's help in this, don't we?

That God would guide us to live out our trust.

I wonder, are you praying

that God would make you look more like Jesus?

Because we're reliant on him for it.

And this is the good, the blessed way to live.

As we trust in God's instruction and guidance

and truth in his word,

as we rely on his Holy Spirit to change

and guide us by them,

we show that we trust God.

And so we need to trust God

for guidance to be like Jesus.

That's our first prayer.

But hopefully you've noticed that

there's a missing foundation.

Maybe little alarm bells have been ringing in your head

as I've been talking,

because look at my life.

I am so far from holiness

and wholeheartedness for God.

I think instinctively we know that

if holiness and uprightness

and integrity is what we need,

then we're all in trouble.

And actually all the guidance in the world wouldn't help.

We need something else while we wait.

We need our second prayer.

We need to trust God for forgiveness.

We can never move away from this.

It's the central background to the psalm.

It's literally structured all around it.

It's the middle, middle, verse 11,

like the middle piece of bacon

in a double bacon cheeseburger,

but maybe a little bit more significant than that.

It's a central prayer.

Forgive my iniquity,

though it is great.

So without this, everything else falls apart.

Without it, ultimate deliverance is not possible.

It's like trying to make a bacon cheeseburger

without the bacon, I guess.

Even if he's delivered from all of his troubles in this life,

he'd be guilty before God.

That really is his fundamental problem.

It's ours too.

We all sin.

Everyone in this room,

everyone in the world,

we've chosen to make up the way ourselves

rather than walking with God in his.

And so like a groom that's cut off all his ties

with the bride

and hasn't even shown up for the wedding,

how can he expect to marry her?

How can we expect to be with God forever

if we've never known or pleased him?

Our guilt,

it should cut us off from God forever,

cut us off from God's goodness forever.

And yet,

we can trust God for forgiveness

because of who he is

and in spite of who we are.

As David prays in verse six,

remember Lord,

your great mercy and love

for they are from of old.

So did you see he appeals to God

to remember who he is,

who he's always been,

a God of mercy,

tender compassion,

a God whose love

is unchanging for all eternity.

The God we rely on

has chosen and loved his people

since before the creation.

We can trust that he's forgiving

because of who he is

and even in spite of who we are.

Verse seven,

do not remember the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways.

According to your love,

remember me

for you,

Lord,

are good.

Don't treat me

as my sins deserve.

He begs God

not to remember.

Not that God

will literally forget.

Oh,

I don't remember when you did that.

But

that he won't add these things

to the charge sheet.

And us too,

we can join with David

and pray this prayer.

But we can pray it

with a confidence

that David didn't even have

because we can see

how that forgiveness is won.

We know that Jesus

has taken our shame

on the cross.

He's won the battle

over sin

and punishment.

Colossians 2

tells us

he forgave us

all our sins

and

cancelled the charge

which condemned us.

He's taken it away,

nailing it to the cross.

And in the end,

actually his enemies

were the ones

put to shame.

That passage

continues,

having disarmed

the powers

and authorities

he made a public

spectacle of them

triumphing over them

by the cross.

So now it's true

what Romans 10

Romans 10:11

verse 11 says,

everyone who believes

in him

will not be put

to shame.

So is your sin

great?

Well,

join the club.

But what's your plan

with it

on judgment day?

will you trust God?

Because when we don't

ask God for forgiveness,

we're essentially

trusting in

something else

to deal with

our guilt,

aren't we?

Our goodness,

human opinion,

maybe even

a man-made idol.

It doesn't matter

what it is,

all of those things

will put us to shame

on judgment day

because only Jesus

can free us

from shame.

So if you haven't

asked him for forgiveness,

there really is no hope

without it.

I must beg you to

do that today.

But if you have,

you can have confidence

he has and will

forgive us.

He won't remember

your sins.

He won't keep

bringing them up

to make you feel bad.

Actually,

that's what the devil

does.

So let's depend

on him

by continuing

to turn to him

for forgiveness

each day

and reminding

ourselves who he is.

We need to trust

God for forgiveness.

So is that it then?

Is that what this

trust looks like

while we wait?

To keep us

from shame,

we need to rely

on God

for forgiveness

and Christ-likeness.

But,

maybe you've been

wondering,

what about

the troubles

themselves?

What about

the actual things

that make

waiting hard?

Well,

we still need

one last

thing to pray.

We need to

trust God

for deliverance.

Do you see

his prayer

starting at

verse 16?

Take a look

with me.

Turn to me

and be gracious

to me

for I am

lonely

and afflicted.

Relieve the

troubles of my

heart

and free me

from my

anguish.

Look on my

affliction

and my distress

and take away

all my sins.

See how

numerous

are my enemies

and how fiercely

they hate me.

So here's

our model

of utter

dependence

on him

to relieve

us of trouble.

suffering.

He's

acknowledging

that it's

not what we

deserve

but asking

him to be

gracious.

So suffering

exposes

trust.

What will

you think

of God?

What will

you ask

of him?

It's good

for us to

cry out

for things

to get

better

because it

exposes

that we

think God

cares

and we

think God

can rescue.

It shows

that we

know that

opposition

and suffering

don't discredit

these promises.

I don't

know what

you're going

through today.

Illness,

conflict,

persecution,

struggles with

sin.

Whatever

comes,

we know

that one

day God

will dwell

with us

in a

perfect world

where

revelation

tells us

he will

wipe every

tear from

their eyes.

There will

be no

more death

or mourning

or crying

or pain.

And it's

good for us

to ask

for that

to come

now.

So that's

our final

prayer.

Keep

crying out

for deliverance.

And I

wonder

as we

finish

will you

make

these

prayers

your

prayers?

Will you

make

these

promises

your

meditation

when you're

not sure

what's

right?

Guide

me.

Show

me your

ways.

Make

me like

Jesus.

you are

good.

When you

failed

again,

forgive

me,

take

away

my

sin,

guard

my

soul.

Your

mercy

is

everlasting.

When it's

just hard,

deliver me,

make the

suffering

stop.

Come

Lord

Jesus,

you are

trustworthy.

We can

endure

when waiting

is hard.

by knowing

our God

and what

he's

done.

And by

trusting

him for

Christ

likeness,

forgiveness

and

deliverance.

But having

said all

that,

it's a

little bit

of an

unsatisfying

ending,

isn't it?

In fact,

there's no

real

resolution in

the psalm.

David is

still living

in that

tension,

promises

of prosperity,

eternity,

and yet

he's

still

presently

suffering.

We're

right with

God,

we're

headed to

an

eternity

with

him,

but waiting

is hard

in this

world of

sin,

with

doubting

hearts

and

troubles

that seem

too big

to bear.

Well,

it's an

unsatisfying

and yet

comforting

end to

the psalm

too,

because

David's

final prayer

shows us

that all

of God's

people are

totally

reliant on

the Lord

for every

deliverance.

You see

verse 21,

no,

22,

sorry,

deliver

Israel,

so deliver

your people,

O God,

from all

their troubles.

And you

could say

that this

is Jesus'

prayer.

Jesus

will bring

all of

his people

home.

So waiting

isn't

easy.

We suffer,

we doubt,

we sin.

And so

in the

unresolved,

we pray,

in you,

Lord,

my God,

I put

my trust.

I trust

you for

guidance,

forgiveness,

and deliverance.

And our

trust is well

placed.

Verse 3,

no one who

hopes in

him will

be put to

shame.

shall we

pray together?

In you,

Lord,

our God,

we put

our trust.

Might that

be our

prayer?

Deliver us

from our

troubles in

this life,

Lord.

We are

suffering and

sinful.

And as we

endure those

troubles,

guard our

lives from

shame.

Guide us

to be like

Jesus by

your word

and spirit

because we

do trust

in you

for forgiveness

and for

ultimate

deliverance.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.