Psalm 25:1-10
"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my G-d. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are G-d my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant."
THOUGHTS:
I believe in free will. Humanity absolutely has the power and will to step outside of what G-d desires and wills for it. This is why doing things simply for the sake of unity is so important. Together in community we hear the will of G-d and only if we are seeking it. And sometimes we get it wrong. Siloed individuals or groups must place themselves within the community to hear and listen to what is stirring within. But we can't get frozen seeking the will of G-d. Because there is a promise that we have - "we know that in ALL things G-d works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
You see, free will allows us to turn towards G-d, make the best decision we think possible, have that decision completely fail and G-d STILL bless it! G-d works all things towards his good - which means he works in all things, even the things that one might say are the furthest away from him as possible.
By all human standards, David (the Psalmist) was in no way the best choice for King. He was an adulterer. He was a murderer. He was human and he messed up in big ways. But in G-d's eyes, all that mattered was that David sought after the heart of G-d and G-d took that sliver of hope and changed the world with it! David knew his own brokenness. He didn't need to be judged by others. He didn't need to dwell or let all the ways he (or others) thought he was wrong for the task freeze him up and paralyze him. He took that brokenness and laid it before the Lord and trusted that G-d and G-d alone would work it out.
That's a hard thing to do. I've been there. I'm there now. And I will be there again. This too shall NOT pass. It's part of the very nature of being human with free will.
"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently...And we know that in all things G-d works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those G-d foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If G-d is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:24-25, 28-31)
ACTION:
Lord, I will gaze on you. You know my name. You know my junk. You know my heart. You know my call. You alone justify me. You alone call me. you alone save me. No matter the path chosen by man----you are on it! I trust that! I look for you in that!
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