“O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.”
Psalm 25:1-3 NLT
David starts Psalm 25 with a declaration of intent, that he has given his life to God. This is something that all believers must do, but only rarely do we hear this in a testimony. The Apostle Paul was very clear about his commitment to God; in Philippians 1:1a, Paul introduces himself, “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. …“. A slave is someone who belongs to another and who puts his master’s needs above his own. Jude said the same in Jude 1:1a, “This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ …”. Those early apostles knew the importance of giving their lives to God because there is no other way of faith. We talk about being “sold out for Jesus” but do we really know what that means and the impact it will have on our lives? Paul did, and we read about what it meant for him in 2 Corinthians 11:23 and the following verses. “Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again”. Of course, not everyone will be asked to make the sacrifices that Paul did, but giving our lives to Jesus is a necessary part of discipleship. Paul wrote, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1).
The KJV translation of Psalm 25:1 reads, “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul“. In some ways this perhaps gives the impression that in the lifting up of our souls, we still have hold of them, able to take them back when the lifting has been completed. But that is not what David intended, and he devoted his life totally to God. When we devote our lives to Jesus, we also trust Him to know what is best for us. Don Moen wrote a song some years ago and the chorus goes, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey“. We used to sing it. We felt the warm glow inside. But what happened on Monday morning? Giving our lives to the Lord and trusting Him with them is a big ask, but one that we need to consider and apply if we’re going to be true disciples and followers of the Master.
David, however, asked for something in response to his commitment and trust in the Lord. He asked Him to keep him from disgrace. David was probably once again in a perilous place, with his enemies around him looking for an opportunity to boast about how they had overcome him or how they had made him look stupid, undermining him before his people. So a simple prayer flowed from his pen to God – he wrote “my God”, perhaps emphasising the personal relationship that he had with the Lord. But we pilgrims have enemies, as David did. Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour”. Note that this may not be a direct attack but one that could be routed through his earthly assistants, who we will find whenever we do something bold and significant for Jesus. The Bible on our desk in the office may invite a sarcastic comment or two. A public testimony will invite threats and abuse. And we must always be aware that once we have come out as a Christian, those around us, confronted by the Holy Spirit living in us, will look for opportunities to make us objects of disgrace. But David was certain that no-one who trusts in the Lord will ever be disgraced. And neither will we, as we stand firm and see God work in whatever situation is confronting us.
David wrote, “disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others”. That is what will happen to those who try and accuse us and rejoice over our defeat. There is always that temptation for us to respond to the cutting remarks and abuse of others within our own strength, but we remember what Jesus said to His disciples, and to us by extension. “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said” (Luke 12:11-12). So when we are facing those who confront our faith, we must pause for a moment and wait for the Holy Spirit’s answer. It will come, as we trust in the Lord. He will never allow us to be disgraced.
Father God. We know that we try to hang onto our lives and live them on our terms. But today we repent and commit ourselves to You once again, and put our trust in You, the One who is worthy of all the praise and all the worship. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 