Verse: Psalm 25:8-11
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.
Devotion
What do we do when we fail God? It's not a popular topic, but it is a reality. John tells us that "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). We all fail God. We all sin. A basic understanding of the word sin is to "miss the mark." We all aim for being the people God has called us to be, but we all miss the mark from time to time.
Do we have language for dealing with that? If you come from an overly strict religious background you may slide into self condemnation and beating yourself up. If you come from an overly permissive background you may excuse it as "not that big of a deal!"
As you read Psalm 25 you see that neither response really fits. The author (David) is clearly broken by his sin, "Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins" (vs18). But he also knows that in God there is hope, "I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame" (vs 2).
In verses 8-11 (above) he looks to God's character ("good and upright") as a reason he can trust God with his brokenness, and he invites the Lord to lead him out of his sin and into freedom ("instructs sinners in his ways"). He is humbled by his sin, but also grateful for a God who is "loving and faithful" towards him.
I wonder if you need to hear this today. Even though like David your sin may be "great" can you bring it to a loving, faithful, and forgiving God this morning? Can you invite him to teach you a new way to live? Can you join David in praying this: "show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (vs 4-5, emphasis mine).
He is loving and full of grace. We can bring our raw and honest sin to him and he will gently lead us on a path of redemption!