Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study of Psalm 25 (July 31, 2025)

July 31, 2025:  Thursday Bible Study on Old Testament of Psalm 25

Good morning my dear friends. 

Today is the day that the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!   Yes, even though it is supposed to be hot today, and hotter on Saturday and Sunday, all this remains as a day that the LORD has created for His children all over the world.  I am happy to be able to say that our members in Hawaii are back home, and safe, after having to pack out due to the tsunami from the massive earthquake off the coast of Russia.  Please keep the victims of all these extraordinary events in your prayers.  I know that costs continue to rise for all of us, but there are some in our congregation upon whom these rises become quickly difficult, so along with our members, keep all the people who will be having a harder time as prices rise, aid for rents and Medicaid diminish, and the worry of how to deal with all of these changes continues to be very stressful.  Let's pray for all these folks too.  A reminder that this Sunday is Gospel Music Sunday, and we are having our "Cool and Crisp" themed carry in after worship.  I hope you will be able to join us.  If you haven't signed up yet, please call so our setting up of chairs and tables will be made for the right number of people.  On to our study now of the 25th Psalm.

I am uncertain of when David penned this Psalm, but it becomes clear that whatever is going on, he is feeling threatened and overwhelmed.  The alternating sections of this Psalm cause the ready to have to move quickly from Praise of God, to all of the things that the LORD does for the faithful, to David's confession of the issues of his youth, which in all likelihood is what happened with Bathsheba when David coveted and possessed an already married woman, while her soldier husband was away fighting David's war.  So, this morning, let's look at the benefits that the faithful received that brought them, and us, the comfort, courage, and faith to move forward in our life's journey with the LORD.

1. Enable me (us) to follow God's ways and path in life.

2. God gives direction (through the Spirit) for our journey of faith

3. God is compassionate with the faithful who have stayed life's journey in His presence.

4. God is reminded of His mercy, which means the forgiveness we all need every day.

5. Assurance of our personal relationship with the LORD.  This brings honor to God!

   1. Forgive our sin, which is greater than we know.

   2. Life guidance for the believers who endure all of life's difficulties faithfully. 

      1. Goodness and Mercy are the home of the faithful in God.

      2. The children of these faithful ones will continue to hold God's promises as their guide in their lives which will be filled with the blessings of a place identity, and more!

      3. The hearts and minds of the faithful look to the LORD for all things.

Toward the end of this Psalm David is encouraging God to do all the things which David needs.  Obviously, David's life, just like ours, has been filled with reliance on God.  David here lets the ready know that he is far from perfect, and yet he remains faithful and relies on God's integrity and uprightness.  Here we know that David is waiting on the Lord for his future endeavors as king and trusting that God will be with him in all these things, but David also looks back to his mighty failures in his relationship with God in the past.  So, here we have a blending of past, present, and future as David sees it, all in God's presence.  We too always need to remember that the LORD has always been in our lives.  We need to do what David does here, and reveal our trust in the always present, always truthful, always forgiving, always Grace filled LORD of Hosts who never abandons His children to despair or hopeless no matter what is going on!

Thanks for being with me today.  With the Love of Christ our Lord - Pastor Kim