What do you do when you have an important, life-changing decision to make, when you need to know which of several options you should choose? The right decision might make all the difference in the world for your life. Do we trust in our own judgment? We might know some friends who we feel might give good counsel, but would their advice really be the best? Do we go to a teacher, a boss, a psychiatrist? Whose advice would be the best? Who can we trust? Our psalm today gives us an answer.
As we know from reading Scripture, David’s life was not always easy going. Much of his young adulthood was spent running from King Saul and living in the wilderness. Becoming king brought its own set of problems. David didn’t spend his time as king just relaxing and being waited upon. He took his position seriously, and wanted to lead the people right. David knew that he would need guidance with his decisions every day. Could he trust his counselors to give good advice? Perhaps they might have ulterior motives for what they advised. Were they really even his friends? A king can’t be too careful! When David was on the run from Saul he also had to be careful of whom he trusted for advice on what to do. There was more than one occasion when people tried to betray him.
As we read through the first several verses of our psalm, we see that David knew exactly who to turn to, exactly who he could trust, and that was in the Lord God (vs. 2). How often we trust in others, and they let us down, or their advice turns out to be wrong. David put his trust in Yahweh, and prayed that He would help him. He did not want to be ashamed in defeat when his enemies got the victory over him. David prayed that this would not be the case while he was trusting God, as that would not be a good testimony. When we turn to God and trust Him, we will not come to shame. We may have to wait (vs. 3), as David often did, as there are times the Lord tarries long, but ultimately He will answer.
David continues on in his psalm, and prays to the Lord, asking Him for His guidance in his life (vs. 4-5). How do we receive God’s guidance? First, we must want to be guided. Many times people ask others for their advice or their guidance, including asking from God, but really they want to just go their own way. God will show us His way if we are willing to accept guidance from Him. Instead of demanding God do things our way, we must humble ourselves so that He can teach us His ways. We also need to know where to receive His guidance. God’s primary source of guidance is in His Word, the Bible. When we are willing to seek Him, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance.
Twice in our passage David tells us we need to wait upon God (vs. 3, 5). Wait. Don’t expect that God will always answer instantaneously. David came to God, and he waited, in prayerful submission, all through the day. He knew that he needed guidance all day, every day, as he faced the challenges of life. Wanting to be a teachable follower of God, he looked to his Redeemer for direction. His heart’s desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the entire day. They who wait on the Lord will not be ashamed.
When we look to God for guidance, leading, and instruction for our life, we need to be sure that we are not actively in sin (vs. 6-8). When God convicts us of sin, we must deal with the problem right away. When we do, we will find His mercy and lovingkindness. As we look back upon God’s mercies upon His children we see that He has always been a merciful Father. Past mercies form a ground for the expectation of future blessings. God’s character cannot change. His action at one time will always be consistent with His actions at another.
If we believe that God might be leading us in a certain direction, we need to take the time to earnestly seek His mind on the matter, and open our hearts to listen to Him. Trust the Lord’s leadership, knowing His paths are established on His loving-kindness and truth. Trust and wait, knowing that the Lord will lead us in His truth each and every day.
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