Chapter 1 · Encounter 9 of 48
Teach Me Your Paths
Prepare
Throughout Scripture, God's people ask him for guidance. But guidance involves more than knowing which direction to take. In Psalm 25, David asks God to teach him his ways and lead him in truth. As you read, notice what David asks God to do and the kind of relationship with God that makes such guidance possible.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Psalm 25:1-15
Psalm 25
Of David.
1In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
8Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
14The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Ponder
- Notice how often David asks God to show, teach, or lead him. What does he seem to want from God beyond simply knowing what to do next? How does his prayer challenge the way you ordinarily seek God's guidance?
- David connects God's guidance with his mercy, goodness, faithfulness, and forgiveness. What does this suggest about the relationship between knowing God's character and learning his ways? Where might you need to become more teachable?
Look Again
Did you notice something interesting in verse 8 8Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.Psalm 25:8
Then, in verse 9 9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.Psalm 25:9
The people who need guidance aren't necessarily those who already have everything right. Look again at how God's goodness and human humility come together in these verses.
Practice
Before making a decision today—even an ordinary one—pause and pray the words of Psalm 25:4-5 4Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. 5Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.Psalm 25:4-5
Prayer
Ask God to make you teachable. Speak honestly about places where you resist correction, prefer your own way, or struggle to trust his direction. Invite him to shape your desires as well as your decisions.