Daily Psalms February 15th

READ Psalm 25:15–22.

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

WAITING EAGERLY.

Verse 21 uses the word “hope” to translate a term that means “to wait eagerly” for God. This is not resignation or passivity but an active stance toward life. David lives in integrity and uprightness (verse 21) despite how well his enemies are doing (verse 19). He also keeps his eyes on the Lord (verse 15) and seeks his presence and touch (verse 16). Those two things—unconditional obedience and prevailing prayer—are the constituents of “waiting eagerly” for God. Waiting on God, rather than jumping the gun by taking matters into your own hands, is the epitome of wisdom, as the contrasting lives and destinies of Saul (1 Samuel 13:8–14) and David (1 Samuel 26:10–11) make clear.

Prayer:

Lord, I confess I do not understand your timing. If I were in charge of history and my life I would have arranged things differently. But I cannot see the whole picture, I cannot see from beginning to end, and so I wait for you in obedience and prayer. Amen.