Great Prayers of the Old Testament
Part 17: Help for Troubled Times
Psalm 25:1-22 (Initial reading vs. 1-7)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - July 2, 2017
(Revised January 15, 2025)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open you Bibles to Psalm 25, as we study another great Old Testament prayer. This is a psalm for troubled times, and it includes great prayers of confession from King David. Let's get started by reading vs. 1-7:
1. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4. Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
5. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
6. Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.
7. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.
*David was an older man in these verses, and something had gone terribly wrong in his life. Charles Spurgeon and other Bible scholars theorize that it was the great rebellion of David's son Absalom, and that makes sense.
*In his younger years, Absalom was a great favorite of his father, and of the people as well. He was handsome, charming, popular, and persuasive. Terrible family trouble started when his half-brother, Amnon, raped Absalom's sister Tamar. Tragically, King David shut his eyes to this great crime, but two years later Absalom carried out a successful plan to avenge his sister, and Amnon was murdered.
*To avoid punishment Absalom fled into exile for 3 years, before being allowed to come back to Jerusalem. Two more years passed before he was allowed into the royal presence. By that time Absalom had determined to rebel against his father, and he was able to convince so many people to follow him that David had to flee Jerusalem for his life.
*The Lord gave David time to raise an army that fought a great battle in the forests of Ephraim. There the rebel army was utterly defeated. Twenty thousand were killed outright, and even more died in the forest that day. One of the men who died that day was Absalom. He was riding on his mule when his long hair was caught in the branches of a tree. And though David had ordered his son to be taken alive, Absalom was killed with three darts through his heart. David's heart was broken. (1)
*What a horrible chain of events. And David may have still been on the run from Jerusalem when he wrote this Psalm. We can see his anguish in vs. 15-19:
15. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16. Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.
17. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Oh, bring me out of my distresses!
18. Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.
19. Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
*Thankfully, most people never have to go through drama like that. But rebellious children can still break our hearts, and family trouble always brings heartache. All of us will go through times of trouble. How can we make it through?
1. FIRST: BY STRONG CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
*One of the great themes of this Psalm is confidence in the LORD, trusting Him even in the most treacherous situations. King David was viciously betrayed by his own son. And if you have ever been betrayed, please know that the Lord Jesus understands what that's like. I say that because Jesus was horribly betrayed by Judas Iscariot. And more than anything else, God's Word stresses this evil aspect of Judas. The New Testament specifically mentions Judas's traitorous ways at least 34 times. In 1 Corinthians 11 for example, Paul teaches us about the Lord's Supper. There Paul began by saying:
23. I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.''
*Jesus instituted this special supper on the night before He died on the cross. And of all the things Paul could have said, it is striking to me that the Holy Spirit led him to stress Jesus' betrayal by one of his own disciples. "On the same night in which Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He took bread.
*Jesus surely understands the pain of betrayal, and we can trust Him to help us through it. David knew the pain of betrayal, but he had learned to trust in the Lord. And in this Psalm, we see David express his confidence at least 10 ways.
*In vs. 1-2, David had the confidence to go to God to call out to God for help. He spoke with the Lord and said, "To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me." David took his troubles to the LORD, and that's what we should do.
*Then in vs. 3, David had the confidence to wait on God: "Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause." David knew that the answer might not come right away, but he was willing to wait on the Lord.
*David talks about waiting on the Lord two other times in Psalm 25. In vs. 5 he told God, "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." And in vs. 21 David said, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You."
*Scott Harrison is a dog lover who learned a lesson about waiting on the Lord. It came through one of Scott's favorite dogs. Listen to part of his testimony:
"Sam was my best dog, ever, a field trial dog who found birds and pointed them with contagious enthusiasm. Sam taught me the joy of becoming part of nature. He was so much more than a bird dog, though. Late one afternoon, Sam and I became separated in an unfamiliar area. I called and whistled. No sign of Sam. I had to get back to town for an important appointment, but how could I leave Sam? If he finally came back and I wasn't there, would I lose him for good?
*Then I remembered a trick an old dog trainer had passed on. I unbuttoned my jacket, removed my shirt and laid it on the ground under the branches of a small bush. I worried all night. But when I returned the next morning there was Sam curled up with his nose under the sleeve of my shirt. He looked up and wagged his tail. 'Where've you been friend?', his eyes seemed to say. 'I've been waiting for you all night. But I knew you'd come back.'
*Later I wondered: When I feel alone and confused, do I have the trust to look for some part of God's Word and curl up in it? Do I have the trust to wait patiently, knowing that my Friend will find me, if I just wait on Him?" (2)
*David had the confidence to wait on God. Then in vs. 4, he had confidence in God's ways: "Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths." And in vs. 5, David had confidence in God's truth, His teaching and His salvation. David prayed, "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day."
*We may have been Christians for a long time, -- but God's not through teaching us yet .And we need to trust Him enough to teach us more of His truth. Like David, we need to pray to the Lord and say, "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation." Are you willing to let God teach you something new?
*Down in vs. 15-20, David had confidence in God's help, His deliverance, His comfort, His forgiveness, and His protection. David said:
15. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16. Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.
17. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Oh, bring me out of my distresses!
18. Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.
19. Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20. Oh, keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
*David had complete confidence in God, and so can we. The Lord is never too busy for you. I like what A.W. Tozer said about this: "An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." (3)
*Along this same line, Joseph Bayly poured out his praise in this brief poem:
-"Thank You God that You see armies march, a sparrow fall.
-Hear atom's blast, a baby's cry.
-Smell volcano's flow, a man's sweat.
-Feel contour of mountains, -- a little lump.
-Taste ocean's salt, -- my tears." (4)
*Who do you trust? I trust my wife Mary. And I know hundreds of good, godly Christians I could trust with my life. But standing over and above all, we can trust God! The cross of Jesus Christ proves that forever! I trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior 49 years ago, and though I have failed Him many times in those years. The Lord has never failed me once! And He has blessed me beyond measure! We can trust in the Lord! So, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. Then keep trusting Jesus to carry you through the hard times in life.
2. HOW CAN WE MAKE IT THROUGH TROUBLED TIMES? -- BY STRONG CONFIDENCE IN GOD, AND BY SINCERE CONFESSION TO GOD.
*The second great theme of this Psalm is confession. And that's why it has been special to me over the years. I have often made David's prayer my own.
*But what does sin have to do with our troubles? Ultimately, all of the world's sorrows can be traced back to sin. All of our sorrows can be traced back to sin. And sometimes the problem is our own sin. In 2 Samuel 12:10, the Lord told David that his house would always bear the burden of his sin with Bathsheba. Thus said the Lord through His prophet, Nathan, "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."
*Christian author, Kay Arthur helped us see the danger of sin when she said:
-"If you tolerate sin in your life, that sin will not only take you farther than you wanted to go, it will keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and it will cost you more than you thought you would pay." (5)
*At least part of David's trouble was his own fault, so he confessed his sin to the Lord. Three times in Psalm 25, David mentioned his sins. In vs. 6-7, David prayed:
6. Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.
7. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O Lord.
*Then in vs. 11, David prayed, "For Your name's sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great." And in vs. 18 he prayed, "Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins."
*David was going through deep feelings of guilt for his sins. But he had trusted in the Lord for salvation. David knew that the Lord would forgive him. And Christians, we know that the Lord God will forgive all of our sins, because of the cross of Jesus Christ.
*David had the promise of the coming Messiah and His redemption. We have the fulfillment of that promise! Jesus already came to save us. Jesus already died on the cross for us and rose again! And 1 John 1:8-9 tells us:, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
*But there are other wonderful Psalms where King David confessed his sins to the Lord God. For example, in Psalm 32:1-5 we hear David say:
1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.
3. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,'' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
3. HOW CAN WE MAKE IT THROUGH TROUBLED TIMES? -- BY SINCERE CONFESSION TO GOD, AND BY SHIFTING OUR CONCERN TO OTHER PEOPLE.
*Here is the third great theme of this Psalm. David was not just concerned about his own well-being. He was concerned about other people. Our natural tendency is to be self-centered, and that can be magnified when we are going through trouble. But God wants us to be concerned about other people. And often the wonderful result is that our own burden gets lighter. Have you found this to be true? Countless people have seen their burdens lifted by shifting their focus to other people.
*David was concerned about other people. We see this in vs. 22, where David prayed this for God's people: "Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles!"
*But there was another crucial way David showed his concern for others. And that was by testifying to them about God. David knew that this song was not just for his benefit. He knew that other people would hear. So in the middle of his own heartache, David gave strong testimonies for the Lord.
*In vs. 8-10 he said:
8. Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
10. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
*Then in vs. 12-14, David gave another strong testimony:
12. Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
13. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
*God wants us to be concerned about other people. And one of the best ways we can show our concern is by giving them testimonies about Jesus.
*One of my all-time favorite teachers was Don Wilton. One day in class, Dr. Wilton told us about getting to serve on Billy Graham's team for a crusade in Korea. Dr. Wilton told about sitting on the platform one night during the invitation, -- right next to Billy Graham.
*Dr. Wilton couldn't help but notice that during the invitation, Billy Graham started looking down at his fingernails. And he thought, "I can't believe Dr. Graham is so unconcerned about this invitation that he would be studying his nails!"
*Don was getting a little huffy on the inside, if you know what I mean. But just then, Billy Graham pointed to one of the Korean ladies who had come forward to talk to the counselors. And Billy said, "Do you see that lady? -- She did my nails today, and I was able to lead her to the Lord."
*That's the spirit and habit we need! -- Looking for opportunities to tell more people about Jesus. It can help them for all eternity, and it can lighten our burden along the way.
CONCLUSION:
*Trouble comes. As hard as we may try, sometimes trouble is unavoidable. But just like David, we can make it through: By strong confidence in God, By sincere confession to God, and by shifting our concern to other people.
*But if you have never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please call on the Lord to save you today. This is the most important thing we can ever do in life. Jesus knows everything about our lives, both the good and the bad. But Jesus still loves us anyway! He is the only way to God's forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven, so please put your trust in our crucified and risen Savior. You can do that right now as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA - 2 Samuel 13-18 - James Orr, M.A., D.D., General Editor - Published in 1915, 1939; public domain - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(2) Adapted from KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 14742 - SOURCE: Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements - TITLE: Waiting On God's Word
(3) A.W. Tozer quotation from SermonCentral PRO - Topic: God as Father
(4) Joseph Bayly in Psalms of My Life. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 14 - Found on Bible Illustrator for windows Topic: Fatherhood / Subtopic: Of God / Index: 1246-1247 - Date: 12/1997.1874 / Title: A Psalm of Praise
(5) SermonCentral illustration contributed by Joel Vicente
