Trouble and hardship find us all. No one escapes trials and challenges. Rarely does even one day go by without facing a difficult situation or anxious circumstance. Put more bluntly, life is hard.

In Psalm 25 we see an excellent example of how dire circumstances in the life of a believer can produce a person after God’s own heart. Psalm 25 shows us that who we are and what we do during difficult times profoundly affects our relationship with God.

Read Psalm 25.

Psalm 25 (ESV)

A Psalm of David

¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
³ Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

⁶ Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.

Write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What does this passage say about God?
2. What is David feeling?
3. What is David asking for?
4. What does this passage say about people?
5. What does is say about me?

As I reflect on these questions, two repeated ideas in Psalm 25 stand out to me.

Awareness of Sin and Confession

The first is David’s awareness of his own sin. David pleads with the Lord in verse 7 by asking God to forget the sins of his youth. In verse 11, David asks the Lord to pardon his “great guilt.” Then again in verse 18, David requests forgiveness for all his sins.

Clearly David understands his depravity, his inclination to sin, and how these sins have broken his relationship with God.

When I’m facing difficult circumstances, confessing my own shortcomings and errors is not my first reaction. I’m more inclined to secretly point the finger at those around me. I’m quick to blame another for the uncertain situation or impossible decision looming in front of me. It’s always easier to shift my attention to others’ flaws than to take ownership for my own sins.

However, David shows us a better response. He demonstrates his confidence in God’s ability to handle his mistakes and forgive him. David’s example reminds me of 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Take your sin to Him right now in confession. God will forgive you for all your sins: past, present, and future. All you must do is ask.

Waiting Patiently on the Lord

The second repeated idea is David’s continued hope and faith as he waits upon God.

Waiting is not something our culture values. With the rise of on-demand streaming services, microwave ovens, and two-day free shipping we’ve grown accustomed to wanting something and getting it almost instantly.

Waiting is especially hard if we are facing challenging circumstances. Psalm 25 clearly depicts David navigating hardships. David describes himself as lonely, distressed, facing worsening problems, in pain, and dealing with hateful enemies. But as he patiently waits, he asks the Lord to show him which path to take, to be lead in truth, and to be taught the ways of God.

David doesn’t passively wait, sitting on the sidelines doing nothing while God solves his problems. Instead, David refocuses on God’s character, reminding himself of God’s compassion, love, mercy, and faithfulness. David surrenders his circumstance to God, trusting that God will make it clear which path to take.

Waiting patiently with hope and faith in Him comes with the beautiful promise that no matter the situation, God will be our strength. What are you facing that requires you to trust Him and wait?

Let’s follow David’s example today by taking our sins quickly to the foot of the cross, confessing them to Jesus, and receiving his perfect forgiveness. And as we wait for direction and next steps from God, let’s focus on His character because His unfailing love and faithfulness teaches us and guides us all the days of our lives.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:2-5

Did You Know?

Psalm 25 is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Using alphabetical order helped students of Scripture in its original language to memorize the lines more easily.

Additional Resources:

This is post two in the Summer in the Psalms series. If you missed the first post, you can read it here: Summer in the Psalms Week One: Psalm 1