In you, LORD, I put my trust

[0:00] Let's begin by coming to God in prayer. Heavenly Father, please help me as I open up your word.! Give us hearts and minds that are ready to understand what you are saying to us today.

[0:15] Help us to see how and why David trusts you as he prays this psalm, and may we also learn to trust you even when it hurts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

[0:27] Do you trust God? About 15 years ago, I had a good friend. After tuition class, we would run around and play outside.

[0:41] In those days, we had no headphones, so we played like normal kids. One day, while we were chasing each other, I tripped and hit the ground hard.

[0:53] I fainted. And the next thing I remember, I was in a stranger's car, smelling blood, and being taken to the hospital. Later, I recalled that my friend had accidentally tripped me over.

[1:10] But what stayed with me was not the fall. It was that he denied it. I just wanted him to say, I'm sorry. But he never did.

[1:22] And just like that, the trust I had in him faded, and we stopped being friends. Looking back, I don't remember the pain of the injury, but more of the disappointment of misplaced trust.

[1:38] I had placed my trust in someone I thought would simply do the right thing, even just offer a basic apology. But he didn't.

[1:49] Perhaps today, you too have had a similar experience.

[2:10] You've been disappointed. Your trust was broken by someone. You placed your hope in a particular person, and they couldn't hold it.

[2:22] These moments of broken trust can shape us profoundly. So, when we turn to our relationship with God, it's no surprise we often come with mixed feelings.

[2:38] On one hand, there's a part of our hearts that wants to say what David says in verse 1 today. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.

[2:50] And yet, on the other hand, we instinctively pull back. Even as we declare, I trust in you. In verse 2, we almost can't help but ask at the same time, Do not let me be put to shame.

[3:08] But what exactly is David worried about here? What kind of shame is he talking about? Let's take a bit of time to unpack this idea of shame, because it's key to understanding what David is praying here.

[3:26] When we think of shame today, we often picture feeling embarrassed or humiliated, like tripping over your own feet in public. But in the Bible, shame goes much deeper.

[3:42] It's about being deeply let down by someone or something you've placed all your hopes in, only to discover they couldn't deliver.

[3:53] It's that painful moment when your trust is misplaced and you're left exposed, disappointed, and vulnerable for all to see.

[4:06] In short, being put to shame here means realizing you've trusted wrongly and feeling that deep disappointment. Yet David says, Those who hope in God will never be put to shame.

[4:23] He's praying, God, don't let my trust in you prove empty. Don't abandon me to my enemies. And that's how David uses the word shame in this sound.

[4:38] But why would someone like David, clearly a mature believer, worry about being abandoned? Because David feels the pressure of two major enemies.

[4:52] First, he's surrounded by external enemies. He mentions them in verses 2 and 19. They want to see him fail, to point and say, See, his God didn't come true.

[5:09] They want him to be shamed. Second, He's burdened by internal struggles. He remembers the sins of his youth and asks God not to count them against him in verse 7.

[5:26] He's deeply aware of his own guilt, his wrongdoings, his failures, and his past. And aren't those our enemies as well?

[5:39] The world around us ridicules our faith and pressures us to trust in other things. The devil works to plant doubt.

[5:49] And we, like David, can carry the weight of past regrets and brokenness that whispers to us that we are not worthy.

[6:00] What if those enemies win? What if our faith collapses under pressure? What if God sees our sin and turns away? What if God abandons us?

[6:14] That's what it would mean to be put to shame. But here's the good news. David knows that will never happen. Not because he's perfect, but because God is faithful.

[6:30] No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, he declares in verse 3. His enemies will fall and not him because God never fails the one who trusts in him.

[6:45] So this brings us to the big question for each of us today. Where are you placing your hope and trust? Are you trusting your own plans more than God's promises?

[7:01] Is your hope in your reputation, your intelligence, your plans, your family, or friends? Are you relying more on Google or God?

[7:13] On ChatGPT or Christ? None of these things are bad. But if they are your foundation, you are standing on paper pretending that it is steel.

[7:26] It might look fine until the pressure comes. But how do we trust God? And why do we trust God?

[7:38] We'll try to answer the questions as we go through the psalm. As verse 4 to 14 will answer the how and verse 15 to the end will answer the why.

[7:51] So the first question is how do you trust God? Earlier I mentioned that God will never let us down or abandon us.

[8:03] But we are called to trust Him, obey Him, and walk in reverence. And this is something we learn over time. In just 11 verses, we see a mention of God's guidance, His ways and paths several times.

[8:23] God's ways are mentioned four times and ours only once. And what's more, our ways are rebellious.

[8:35] So, how are we to trust God? David shows us a few ways. First, by trusting His guidance. By trusting His guidance.

[8:47] Let's look at verses 4 and 5. Now, when I first read these verses, I thought this meant that when I'm unsure of what to do or when every option in a particular situation feels uncertain, I should ask God to give me a clear sign.

[9:08] Show me your ways. Tell me what to do or where to go. But what I've come to realize is that God's guidance is not really about Him sending dramatic signals.

[9:23] Rather, it's about walking daily in the ways He's already shown us. So, when, like David, we're asking God to show us His ways, we're referring to the truth that God has already clearly revealed to us in the Bible.

[9:43] You see, David is not asking for some secret insight. He's asking to be led in what God has already revealed and taught.

[9:54] God's commandments, character, and truth. Trusting in God's guidance means learning and living out His already revealed word.

[10:07] Not waiting for special signs, but actively following in His ways with a willing heart. heart. This might mean, for example, responding with joy in trials, or forgiving someone even when it's hard.

[10:24] Now, I'm no parent, but I'm pretty sure parents would love to hold their child's hand when they first start learning to walk. But eventually, the parents let go, staying close by, and ready to catch them if they fall.

[10:42] And that's what God's guidance is like. It's relational. It's daily. It's not about hearing a loud voice saying, turn left or turn right.

[10:56] It's about walking with Him, knowing He is close, His word is clear, and He desires what is best for us. And even when we can't see the path ahead, we know the one who knows the way.

[11:13] And as we walk, His hand will guide us. We just need to trust and follow. He will not disappoint us, because He is more eager to lead us than we are to be led.

[11:29] So instead of waiting for some mysterious sign when faced with a choice, ask, am I already walking in what God has shown me?

[11:42] Am I humble, hopeful, seeking His word, open to correction? And that's the person God guides.

[11:53] The more we trust God's truth and walk in it, the more we grow in wisdom to choose well. And we can only see in hindsight that He has guided us all along.

[12:06] So we've seen the first way how to trust God, by trusting His guidance. Here's the second way, by trusting God's character.

[12:20] By trusting God's character. In verses 6 and 7, we see that God is merciful and loving, trusting that He will not hold our past sins, our rebellions and short coming against us, for He is good.

[12:40] David pleads, remember your mercy, Lord, and do not remember the sins of my youth, or my rebellious ways. And notice what he's asking, not for God to remember His record, but to remember Him according to His love.

[13:01] In verse 6, David says, David knew that if God remembered only His failures, He would have no hope, and neither would we.

[13:29] be. And this is the heart of grace. We are forgiven, not because we've done anything to deserve it, but because God is merciful and good.

[13:44] So if you're burdened by guilt or regret today, let this be your comfort. Your past does not define you. Trust that His love for you has always been and always will be.

[14:01] Remember that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and His mercies never come to an end. Let me tell you a story that preacher Harry Ironside once shared.

[14:16] He visited an old Christian man, about 90 years old, who had followed Jesus faithfully for many decades. The old man was deeply troubled, as his life was near the end.

[14:32] He told Harry, everything feels so dark. Lately, I've been overwhelmed by memories of the sins of my youth.

[14:43] They keep coming back and I can't stop thinking about them. I feel miserable and ashamed. Harry opened his Bible to Psalm 25, verse 7.

[14:57] Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways. According to your love, remember me, for you are good, O Lord.

[15:09] Then he gently said, Brother, when you first trusted Christ, you confessed your sins, and God promised, your sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

[15:24] If God has forgotten them, why should you keep remembering them? The old man paused, smiled, and said, I'm an old fool remembering what God has forgotten.

[15:40] He found peace again, not because his past changed, but because he remembered God's character. And the third way we learn to trust God is by trusting with humility.

[15:59] By trusting with humility. In verses 8 to 10, it begins with this simple but profound truth. good and upright is the Lord.

[16:13] That is the foundation. God is not just powerful, he is morally perfect, always good, always right.

[16:25] And because of who he is, he teaches sinners his way. But who and what kind of sinners? Verse 9 explains.

[16:39] He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. It's not the clever, the self-assured or the proud who learn from God.

[16:53] It's the humble. And our culture often tells us to be strong and never show weakness. But trusting God is admitting we need help.

[17:07] it's coming to him with a heart that says, Lord, I don't know the way. I need you. And this truth exposes something deeper in our hearts.

[17:23] Many of us want to know God's will, but we are not always ready to obey it. We say, Lord, show me the way.

[17:33] But what we really mean is show me the way and then I'll decide whether to follow. And that is not humility.

[17:44] That is control. That is keeping our options open for sin. But verse 10 is clear.

[17:55] David is saying that if you have received God's love, it naturally leads to obedience.

[18:13] He cannot imagine enjoying the blessings of God's covenant while ignoring what God asks of us. Yes, God is gracious.

[18:25] That is wonderfully true. But His grace does not mean we can live however we want. In fact, knowing His love should make us want to walk closely with Him, to live His way and to reflect His character.

[18:44] And this verse shows us clearly that God's ways are not like the world's ways. And if we belong to Him, we won't want to go our own way anymore.

[18:58] We'll want to follow His. So if you feel like God has been silent or distant, ask yourself this, am I willing to follow Him before He shows me the way?

[19:13] God. Now here's the fourth way to trust God, by trusting in His forgiveness. By trusting in His forgiveness.

[19:27] As mentioned at the beginning and the end of Psalm 25, David is clearly troubled by enemies. He prays that God won't let him be put to shame, fall into their traps.

[19:40] But have you noticed what happens in the middle of the Psalm? The real enemy he faces isn't outside, it's within.

[19:53] David sees his own sin as his greatest enemy. In verse 11, he says, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

[20:05] and that is honest and humble. His greatest concern is not the circumstances around him, it's his own heart before a holy God.

[20:20] David knows he must deal with his own sin. And he does so with confidence, not in himself, but in God's name.

[20:33] He knows that God is merciful, loving, and faithful, that even though his sin is great, God's forgiveness is greater.

[20:47] We might be in difficult situations and think that our circumstances are our biggest enemy. But could it be that God is prompting us today in this Psalm that it could be something deeper?

[21:04] what if the real issue is our sin and that God wants us to deal with rather than our circumstances? Could it be that confessing our sins is something we are avoiding?

[21:21] Because if you come to God like David did, honestly, humbly confessing our sins, you'll find the same grace.

[21:32] God doesn't forgive based on how small or big your sin is, but based on how good he is. You can trust him to forgive you completely.

[21:47] And now here's the final way we can trust God in this Psalm, by trusting with fear, by trusting with fear.

[21:58] Now that might sound strange. What does it mean to fear God? Usually, we think of fear as being afraid of something bad happening or as a punishment, like a child fearing a harsh parent.

[22:17] But that's not what this fear is. Instead, to fear God is to give reverence, a deep respect and awe.

[22:28] It's when we realise how powerful and holy God is, and yet he lovingly invites us to come close.

[22:39] It's the kind of fear that doesn't push us away, but draws us in. It's saying, God, you are holy.

[22:51] I take you seriously and I want to live in a way that pleases you. in verses 12 to 14, David says, those who fear the Lord, who approach him with this kind of humility and awe, they will be guided by God, that's verse 12, be blessed by God, verse 13, and be close to God, that's verse 14.

[23:17] as we trust God by being in awe of him, he leads to obedience, and it's the response of knowing that we have been forgiven, and now we want to walk with him.

[23:37] But let's be honest for a moment, sometimes we treat God too casually. We treat him like a heavenly friend who is always there, rather than the great, holy, awesome Lord of all.

[23:54] Yet David reminds us if we really want to walk closely with God, it starts with reverence. And the best part, God wants this kind of relationship with us.

[24:10] He wants to guide, bless, and confide in us. We can find these fellowship and full trust in him.

[24:22] Jesus says something similar in Matthew 5 verse 5, blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth, and those who humbly trust God will one day share in his kingdom.

[24:37] David had confidence in that. And we can too, because in Jesus, God has promised to forgive us, to be with us, and we'll come back to make all things new.

[24:55] So we've answered the how. Let's come now to the second question. Why do you trust God? is it so that we hope to avoid troubles?

[25:09] Let's see how David shows us that trusting in God does not mean the absence of pain, but the presence of God in it. In verse 15, David feels trapped.

[25:26] He's overwhelmed by troubles he cannot untangle on his own. Maybe you felt that way too. You are stuck in situations, you're weighed down by anxiety, temptation, burden, or pressure, and unable to see a way out.

[25:52] David does not try to fix it himself. Instead, he looks to God, trusting that only God can release him.

[26:04] Think of those nature documentaries where a trap catches an animal. The animal, no matter how strong or clever, cannot free itself.

[26:17] It's helpless unless someone sets it free. And that's like us. We may find ourselves trapped and only God in his mercy and power can set us free.

[26:35] Could it be that we are still caught but haven't looked up to the one who can set us free? Like David, when we fix our eyes on him, we are not promised an easy life, but we are promised his help, his protection, his rescue, even when life gets messy.

[26:59] And in verses 16 to 19, David shows us that even in suffering, whether from sin, enemies, or emotional distress, we can still turn to God and find him to be gracious and faithful.

[27:21] Now, the exact nature of David's suffering is not clear, but what's clear is that he is burdened. by loneliness, affliction, guilt, fear, and opposition.

[27:37] These are not foreign experiences. These are part of our daily lives as well, and they can happen to anyone. And when they get heavier, we may feel pulled away from our trust in God.

[27:55] We begin to doubt his ways, ignore his word, forget his love, and lose our reverence for him.

[28:08] And in the face of overwhelming trouble and inner failure, the faithful response is not to run from God, but to keep turning back to him, just as David did.

[28:23] some of us know that cycle, life gets hard, and you've had that thought, God, I trusted you.

[28:37] Why did you let this happen? Then sin creeps in along with guilt, and in that moment, you're left wrestling.

[28:47] part of you wants to keep trusting God, but your circumstances whisper, why bother? And that's where your trust is put to the test.

[29:02] And David shows us the right response. Guard my life and rescue me. Do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you, he cries.

[29:15] David does not deny the pain. He lays it all before the Lord. He chooses to look up and not give in.

[29:29] Maybe this morning, you're wrestling with that exact tension. You're caught between your affliction and your faith. You've doubted or drifted.

[29:44] But hear this. You are not abandoned. Like David, you can turn back to the God who is still gracious, still strong, and still your refuge.

[29:58] And as David does that, as he entrusts all his sins, pain, and struggles to God, his prayer and focus shifts.

[30:11] He doesn't just stop with his own troubles, he starts praying for others as well. And that's how Psalm 25 ends, as he pleads for the whole community, showing a deep concern for others that their troubles be delivered too.

[30:35] When we trust God deeply, it reshakes how we see others. Here's something to reflect on.

[30:47] Like David, in your pain, will you still care enough to pray for someone else? As believers today, if you have placed your trust in God, and if you have not already faced overwhelming troubles, they will come.

[31:10] And when they do, the question won't be just, do you trust God? The question will be, do you trust him enough to surrender everything, even when it hurts, even when it costs?

[31:29] But here is the good news. God has sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live this life and to know all our imaginable pain and suffering.

[31:43] Our Lord Jesus faced anguish, affliction, and even death. And yet, he trusted the Father completely.

[31:56] In light of this psalm, Jesus walked in complete obedience, trusting the Father's will, evil, even to the point of death on a cross.

[32:08] Jesus bore the sin and shame we deserve, so that we might no longer be abandoned. And Jesus showed us what it means to revere God, walk in his ways, and to trust fully, even in suffering.

[32:29] And Jesus was gloriously raised to life, so that we can be sure that our trust in God is not misplaced. Not now, and not ever.

[32:44] As we end, this psalm shows us a God who is entirely trustworthy. And the only thing that can keep us from trusting him is ourselves.

[32:57] This morning, are you facing difficult choices or overwhelming troubles and don't know what to do?

[33:10] Will you trust that God will guide you as you obey his word? Are you burdened by past mistakes?

[33:22] You're weighed down by guilt or feeling like you're never enough? Will you trust in God's mercy and character that he does not remember your sins but surrounds you with his steadfast love?

[33:40] Are you uncertain about God's plans for your life? Will you respond with humility and trust that he teaches those who fear him?

[33:53] are you affected by the burden your brother or sister in Christ carries even in your pain? Will you pray for them?

[34:08] Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word in Psalm 25. We trust that you are gracious and for some of us here this morning that might be wrestling with sin, trouble, loneliness or affliction, help us to trust your guidance, forgiveness and character with humility and reverence.

[34:40] We trust you not because pain will be absent from our lives but because we know you are present with us in it. we know that you will guard our lives and rescue us and not let us be put to shame for you are our refuge and our hope is in you.

[35:03] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.