1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee:let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me
for thy goodness 'sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name's sake, O Lord,
pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth the Lord?
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease;
and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord;
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged:
O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain;
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many;
and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me:
let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
for I wait on thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
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Comments by Joan Boney
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
The ways of God are often very different from our ideas, even when we are born again. I'm often very surprised in the way God leads me in the midst of a problem. I'd never even thought of going the way HE shows me to go. His ways are so much higher than my ways. I marvel at the Word HE gives me to show me what to do.
Isaiah 55
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it shall be to the Lord for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Indeed God's ways (when HE shows me what to do) give me great joy and peace and are an anchor for my soul in the trouble.
The gates of hell cannot stand against that Word God reveals to us in the time of trouble. (Mt. 16:18)
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Psalm 25 ... 9 The meek will HE guide in judgment: and the meek will HE teach his way.
Recently my cousin's husband died. They were married 65 years. I know this will be a very terrible thing for her. I wrote her and told her that if she will pour out her heart to God, HE will help her.
The problem is this cousin has always been a very proud person. I don't know if she is broken down enough to turn to God. But if she will turn to God instead of turning to other people, and pour out her feeling to God, she will be helped.
It takes "meekness" to call on God.
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Psalm 25 ... 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
To the human, the direct path of truth may not seem like mercy ... but the way of God is a way of truth for there is no darkness at all in God. I Jn. 1
We might want to beat around the bush ... but this is just our flesh dealing with the issue ...
God's way is direct and truthful and full of light, not darkness.
And this way which may seem harsh to our flesh is merciful.
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Psalm 25 ... 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord?
Most humans fear what man will think of them ... but wisdom is the fear of the Lord ...
Mt. 10 ... Jesus says ... 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light:and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Psalm 111:10 ... The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS praise endureth for ever.
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Psalm 25 ... 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for HE shall pluck my feet out of the net.
An example: A neighbor woman laid a trap for me. I didn't see the trap but God did. I was in the alley and she was backing out her car. I greeted her and she said she would come over to my house that night and "see" me. She said, "I really want to talk with you." I thought that was said strangely. Regardless, I made plans for her visit that night. She didn't show up. She didn't call. I finally turned off my porch light at 9 p.m. Then I was reminded of the following: I had spoken against lesbians according to Romans 1. This woman's daughter is lesbian. I believe God stopped her from her plan to come to my house.
Many other times my feet have been plucked out of the net laid for me where I would be harmed ... I have had multiple dreams where I have been shown individuals and have been shown I can't go in their path. And there have been times I have planned to go with someone and have had dread come upon me and as a result of that dread I have changed my plans and not gone with them. God has taught me when there is dread involved, just don't do that. (Of course I pray first but if the dread continues I have learned to cancel what I planned to do.)
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Psalm 25 ... 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
integrity:
- the state of being whole and undivided
- lack of corruption
"intact"
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Psalm 25 ... 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Who is "Israel"?
Romans 9 ... 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.