Humility for Strong Work – Psalm 25

A text – Psalm 25:1-10

25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
25:2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
25:3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
25:6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!
25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

A reflection:

Have you ever been looking for the right answer? You know, you are facing a dilemma and you kind of know what you would prefer to do, because it will make you feel good, but you don’t really know if it’s the right thing to decide? When you are pulled this way and that, it can be hard to find the right answer, even if it is right in front of you. And the answer may call you to be stronger than you are used to being.

The psalmist here seems to be beset by enemies who will ridicule her and exult over her for doing something they think is stupid, even just for her faith in the Lord. She really wants to make the right choice, to follow the Lord’s paths, but she also wants her enemies to be ashamed for being sneaky and treacherous. She doesn’t linger there, though. She lets go of her desire for revenge and sticks with what she knows the Lord loves: goodness, uprightness, steadfast love, just like God’s own love. She uses the words humility and humble several times. But this is not “doormat” humility. This is not about being humbled to her enemies. This is being humble before God so that she may be “teachable” – she wants to learn the path God is setting for her.

I have written about the psalmist using feminine pronouns partly because it is so easy for women to take that word humble in the wrong way, believing that they need to be bowed over in the service of others, whatever those others might need of them at any given moment. Sometimes the great servant is also a leader who needs time to prepare herself for what she must accomplish. We all have callings from God in which we not only serve but also take leadership. A calling does not make us a doormat. We need strength and preparation and wisdom. Those are God’s gifts that enable us to do the calling God gives us. Learning God’s way humbles us to God’s calling and also makes us strong enough to lead.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us each a mission, a calling in this life. Help us to prepare for that calling in a way that is humble toward you but lets us lead in our work. Help us to learn your ways, oh Lord, so that we may do what you call us to do.  Amen.