Divine Guidance

Psalm 25

Life is filled with decisions.  When we are little, most decisions aren’t too important - what game to play with our friends, what TV show to watch.  As we get older, our decisions become more critical. We decide whether to go on to college or get a job when we graduate high school.  We decide what to study, who to date, who to marry, what jobs to apply for, whether to buy a house or rent, etc. Since these decisions are important, we often seek the advice of people we trust.  Christians should also seek the Lord in prayer for His guidance and direction. In our psalm today, we read how King David also sought God’s guidance in every area of his life. Since we all frequently need guidance throughout our life, let’s look into this passage of Scripture.

King David knew that he needed God’s guidance every hour of every day (vs. 4 - 5).  He had a kingdom to run, had armies to lead against the enemies of his people and enemies of God, and knew that he needed the guidance of the Lord.  He always looked to God for direction. David was a teachable follower of God.

We, most probably, are not running a nation or leading armies like David was.  However, we need the guidance and leading of the Lord for decisions that we make in our daily life, as well.  We receive guidance from God when we want to be guided.  God’s primary guidance system is from His Word, the Bible.  When we are willing to seek Him, and learn from His Word, when we fear God, He will give us specific guidance (vs. 8 - 9, 12).   If a Christian believes that God is leading them in a certain direction, they should take the time to seek His mind on the matter in prayer, and listen carefully to what and where the Lord would lead.  Following our own path and our own way can be a very serious mistake, often costly in many ways, sometimes even deadly.

As King David would come to the Lord for guidance and leading, he knew that he needed to keep his life free from unconfessed sin (vs. 11).  He knew that, like all of us, he committed sins, and that he needed to bring each fault to the Lord in confession. A mature Christian has an increased sensitivity to sin.  He consistently will go to God, asking forgiveness for his wrongs. David also speaks of fearing the Lord (vs. 12). To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who He is - holy, almighty, righteous, pure, omniscient, omnipotent, all-wise.  We then also see ourselves for what we are - sinful, weak, frail, needy. When we have both straight, He will show us His way.

God offers His intimate and lasting friendship to those who have reverence for Him, and worship Him (vs. 14).  If we turn to Him in our problems (vs. 16 - 17), giving them to Him, seeking His help, God can turn those problems into victories, into something wonderful.  We need to bring all of our sorrows and sins to God (vs. 18).

If we want to make a straight line of footprints we should not focus our eyes on our feet.  If we do, the line we end up making will be very crooked by the end. Instead, we need to look ahead at an object, and then walk towards it.  The same is true in our spiritual life. We must not be focusing on ourselves or on others. Instead, we need to focus only on Jesus (vs. 15).

As David closes the psalm, he brings up two virtues, integrity and uprightness, that are so important and so rarely seen today (vs. 21).  Uprightness is learning God’s requirements and striving to fulfill them, and wanting to walk in God’s way. Integrity is being what we say we are, being a person of his word.  These are two virtues that should be developed in all believers. As we seek to find God’s will in our lives, as we seek His guidance and leading, we need to be praying and listening for His voice.  We need to fear the Lord and keep all known sins confessed. We also need to live with integrity and uprightness, and keep our eyes on the Lord.