Confidence In The Lord

O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Psalm 25:1-3

BIBLICAL SCHOLARS CATEGORIZE Psalm 25 as a “psalm of lament,” which is to say it’s a prayer to God while in distress. Let’s be honest, many (most?) of our prayers take the form of a lament—they are complaints to God about our situation. This is okay, because life in this world is full of troubles and problems that collectively (or even individually) are too much for us to handle on our own. God is not in favor of our pretending that everything is okay when it isn’t.

So both the Bible and Psalms in particular allow us to voice our complaints to God in healthy ways. We can be honest with God without being irreverent. Psalms of lament are grounded in faith and hope (rather than being just an exercise in whining) because we believe that the God we pray to is willing and able to help us.

In this particular lament, David (the psalmist) starts off by declaring his dependence and trust in the Lord: “LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God!” He starts with a foundation of faith—a bedrock of belief—despite how things look on the outside. His fear, apparently, is of being disgraced (or ashamed, as some translations put it): “Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.” Every man knows this fear very well. The fear of failure can haunt our every step, which means our need for the Lord’s help is ever present.

BOTTOM LINE

When you’re tempted to give in to fear and worry, express your confidence in God out loud. He promises to come to your aid.

Moment of Strength: Isaiah 54:4