Redeemed

DEVOTION

PSALMS

REDEEMED

Ps 25:16-22

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 19 See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! 20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

NIV

Though we did not need to repeat the whole of this Psalm today, but just deal with the concluding remarks. It is remarkable how God does turn toward us if we recognize we are lonely and afflicted and that we have troubles in our heart and experience anguish. The opposite to being lonely and afflicted is being self-sufficient and prideful, unaware of our sinful state and not concerned about offending God. When we understand we are in distress, or in danger of destruction, then we seek God asking him to take away our sin. Those who refuse to acknowledge God, or their sinful condition have no clue they are in distress. They are not hated by the enemy of our soul, for he has them already in his control. But those of us who have understood our condition, who heard the voice of the Spirit and responded are fiercely hated by our enemy, Satan. He increases his efforts against us trying his best to entrap us, to make us stumble, to get us to forget about God and live for our own passions. But we will not forget God, we will continue to seek him, asking him to guard our life and rescue us, not letting us be put to shame. We will always take refuge in him, for there is no other place safe enough from the enemy. If we try to stand on our own, we will fail, we will fall prey to the enemy. If we think we can rely on our own abilities, our own resources, our own knowledge, even of the scriptures, or our own spirituality, we will fail and fall prey to his schemes. We can only have victory by taking refuge in the Lord. It is his integrity and uprightness that protect us, not ours. Our hope is in the Lord. He already has redeemed Israel from all our troubles. We can say that because we know we are the true Israel because we have allowed God to circumcise our hearts. A person is not Israel just because of the circumcision of the flesh, but that of the heart. Praise God for his redemption.