Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long (vv.4-5).
This is the second in a series, Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm. In the previous article, we looked at the first theme: Prayer For Protection. We all know how easy it is to make prayer all about our needs and wants without the slightest incline to what God wants and what pleases Him. David’s requests tell of his seriousness in seeking to please God. This was a man passionate about knowing God. He wasn’t only interested in enjoying the gifts God bestows; he was concerned about knowing the giver of the gift and to please him. His prayer is an indictment on many modern Christians.
For many, in times of comfort, God is a second thought. But David’s desire was to please God, and the only way to do that was to know about God – his ways, his paths and his truths. In Psalm 86:11, he writes, “Teach me your way, O LORD that I may walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name.” A proof of our love for God is our obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandment.’ We cannot obey what we don’t know. So David’s prayer was to God to help him know his ways and his truths.
The Disposition of David’s Heart
We also see from these verses, the disposition of David’s heart. Here is a man who not only wanted to know the ways and paths of God, but he also recognized there was no way he could know God by himself. Unless the Lord inclined his heart, he would not even have the desire. So his prayer was, “Make me…Teach me…Lead me.”
These requests show a complete surrender to God. They convey a message of utter helplessness and dependence. He doesn’t go to God seeking the fulfilment of his own plans and wishes. The words he uses are of someone who has completely relinquished control and is prepared to allow God to be King in his life. Not my way, not my path and not what I consider truth. There is a certain humility and trust reflected in that prayer. We see here what I call attitudes to obtain divine guidance: (i) “A humble heart” (vv 8-10). The Lord teaches and leads the humble in the path they should go.
Like David we must come to God in complete surrender. (ii) A heart ready to obey” (vv14-15). The Lord makes known His covenant to people who fear him. A person who fears the Lord is the one who is ready to obey. My question to you is, in your walk with God, is it about your way or God’s way? Your path or God’s path? Are you really concerned about what the word of God says about every area of your life?
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