“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame.” (Psalm 25:1, 2a)
The first two verses of this psalm set us up with a declaration of trust in God — and then a repeat. Rinse, repeat! Or perhaps that should be “trust, repeat”! Yes, I like that much more. Memory verses are wonderful, and this one would be worthy to commit to memory. Let’s explore why.
The first prayer here is asking God that the psalmist is not put to shame. Trusting God is the protection from that shame. Note also that this means God never shames us. If you are feeling, hearing or fearing shame at the moment, turn to this psalm and use this prayer!
Where does shame come from, then? If we read on, we see there is shame from our enemies. Sometimes, in real life, people triumph over us, or we are accused without cause or misunderstood. Many, many things can cause shame. Perhaps sometimes we are our own worst enemy, too. Just as the refrain at the beginning of this psalm is trust in God, and then again, we may need to attach a new saying for ourselves to overwrite those feelings of shame. Trust God, repeat! Either memorize the verses or that little saying. God knows! An arrow prayer in your back pocket is a wonderful thing. Follow it up with deeper time with the Lord when you can.
Another way we can overwrite shame is by not allowing it to isolate us. I often say that isolation is the number one tactic of the enemy. When you share your feelings with a trusted person, you weaken the hold the shame has over you. Light shines in the darkness, and we have support and accountability in our resolve to trust God.
Do go on with the rest of the psalm. Don’t get stuck in this shame cycle. We go on to read (pray) the petitions for walking in God’s ways (continue to shine God’s light on your path) and the goodness and teaching of the Lord. We are not made to do this alone. Walk the path with his people, and his church, and if you need help to “trust, repeat” today, ask a friend to pray with you.
Prayer
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. Thank you for being a God of healing, hope and forgiveness and never putting me to shame. I trust you, Lord. I trust in you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
