PSALM 25: A LESSON FOR THE WAITING

Psalm 25 is a heartfelt prayer of David for God’s guidance, protection, and mercy. It reminds us to be faithful — even in the waiting.

Psalm 25 conveys David’s deep trust in God and his dependence on God for deliverance and salvation. Through his words, David teaches us the importance of waiting on God with faithful reverence and humility. It reminds us to lift our souls to God for deliverance from enemies, forgiveness for past sins, and instruction in living for Him. 

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

2 I trust in You;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.

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

4 Show me Your ways, Lord,
    teach me Your paths.

5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in You all day long.

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

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to Your love remember me,
    for You, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore He instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them His way.

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

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

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

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

14 The Lord confides in those who fear Him;
    He makes His covenant known to them.

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

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

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

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

19 See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in You.

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

22 Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

Psalm 25, A Psalm of David

The messages offered in Psalm 25 are important to our daily walk with God.

Throughout Psalm 25, David reminds us that we’re called to trust and surrender, rely on God’s guidance and teaching, seek His forgiveness and mercy, wait with hope, and fear His name.

Trust and Surrender

Faith is not a “one and done” scenario. We’re born again by God’s grace and power. 

To KNOW Jesus is to walk with Him. This requires our trust and our complete surrender. For it’s only through Christ that we’re delivered from our sins and granted redemption.

Trust and surrender enable us to get out of God’s way so that we become fully reliant on Him for everything. Our health, happiness, strength, and above all, our salvation.

Trust and surrender are necessary if we’re to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. 

Guidance and Teaching

When we surrender, we open ourselves fully to God’s guidance and teaching. It takes tremendous faith to say to God – “I trust in You.” But that’s exactly what we’re called to do.

Understanding that God’s truth is higher than our own makes us teachable (Isaiah 55:9). Walking in the knowledge of God is key to living a God-centered life, one marked by surrender rather than self-reliance.

The answers we receive may be different than those we seek, but they’re the ones God wants us to have. God’s timing may be different than our own, but it’s the only timing that matters. 

God never gives us more than we can handle. When we trust God, He never lets us down.

Forgiveness and Mercy

Our momentary lapses in judgment come when we forget who God is – how powerful and true His character is. When we turn away from God, we become vulnerable to sin. 

God knows this about us. He knew we’d fall short of His glory time and again. That’s why He planned for our salvation. By sending His Son to suffer and die for us, God showed us how deep His love for us runs. 

God is slow to anger. His forgiveness and mercy are gifts of His unconditional love. Gifts that are readily given to an unworthy world.

Waiting with Hope

Waiting on God is one of the hardest things we’re called to do. We’re so impatient. We find relinquishing control unpalatable. 

We forget that God is never late.

Thus, we must constantly remind ourselves that we need God. That’s why waiting with hope, rather than with expectations, is so important. 

Waiting on the Lord is an act of faith. Abiding in hope means we trust in God’s timing and intervention and believe His promises will be fulfilled.

Waiting on the Lord with hope frees us from worry and doubt. We no longer have to worry about tomorrow. We’re freed from the world and granted the gift of God’s perfect peace.

Fear of the Lord

Fearing the Lord is not a bad thing. It means we respect and honor God and that we seek Him with reverence and humility.

Fearing the Lord means we rely on Him. 

Verse 14 reminds us that the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. Our human minds cannot fathom the secret of the Lord because the secret of the Lord must be felt to be known. It’s the Spirit of God within us that leads us to knowing.

He who does not know the meaning of this verse will never learn it from a commentary; let him look to the cross, for the secret lies there.

Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Psalm 25

God reveals His righteousness to our hearts, not our minds. Where God sanctifies the heart, He enlightens the head (Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Psalm 25). Fear of the Lord guides us to seek. The Holy Spirit reveals the mystery our minds cannot comprehend.

 

You are God, my Savior.

You guide me in Your TRUTH.

Fill my soul with HOPE, LORD.

Please keep me close to You.

Teach me to trust in Your WORD.

To seek You all day long.

For You are God, my Savior.

My STRENGTH and HOPE and SONG.

Let all my life reflect Your LOVE.

Let my words and actions speak,

that You are God my Savior,

My DELIVERER and PEACE.

Teach me to be humble.

To understand Your WILL.

When doubt and fear surround me,

Teach me to be still.

Grant me, LORD, Your MERCY.

Let Your GRACE cover me.

So that all I am HONORS Your NAME,

and Your PRESENCE within me.

AMEN.

JN Fenwick (©2026) 

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My Prayer

Dear LORD, You have graciously taught us that without You, we can do nothing. Teach us how to pray, LORD. To come to You in humility. To lift our entire beings to Your keeping. Help us, Lord, surrender to You. To fear Your Holy Name so that we remain open to Your Presence and Your Word. Grant us patience, LORD, to wait on You with Hope. To trust in Your Timing and Your Will. Deliver us from our enemies and strengthen us with Your Grace. Let Your Mercy and Forgiveness cover us, LORD, when we fail You. Remind us of Your Faithfulness. Let us look to the Cross and to the gift of Salvation for the answers we seek. Guide our steps, LORD, so that our lives reflect Your Goodness and bring Honor to Your Holy Name. AMEN.

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JN Fenwick (©2026) | mothjournal14 | All rights reserved. | I DO NOT WALK THIS RECOVERY JOURNEY ALONE.

I’m JN Fenwick.

Wife, mom, but more importantly, a recovering alcoholic with a grateful heart. For years, I struggled, not just with alcohol, but with an eating disorder and the burdens of guilt and shame. On March 22, 2018, I surrendered my life to Christ. I was 51. God did not forsake me. He welcomed me, as undeserving as I am. He did not see my brokenness. Instead, He saw my potential. My Recovery Journey is one of Faith. From the ashes of my failures, God built a fire in me. A fire that guides each step I take. My journey is yours. My healing can be yours, too. God is a mighty warrior. You can take comfort in the promise that the Lord will fight for you and grant you peace.