Humble Confession and Waiting on the Lord Psalm 25 Shawn Woo Sermon Summary The overall message of Psalm 25 is that as pilgrims who have not yet arrived, we humbly confess our sins to God and wait for His redemption. Psalm 25 also provides us with several reasons or motivations for this. 1. God Vindicates Those Who Wait on Him (25:1-5, 20-21) 2. God Forgives Those Who Confess Their Sins (25:6-7, 16-19) 3. God Instructs Those Who Humble Themselves (25:8-10, 12-15) 4. God Redeems for His Name’s Sake (25:11, 22) Questions for Discussion/Application: *Consider taking time to read Psalm 25 out loud. What initial insights or observations of the text do you have? *Let’s consider verses 1 and 2. What does it look like for us to practically entrust our souls to God and trust Him in the midst of affliction? What might be some of the consequences we may experience if we fail to entrust ourselves to the Lord in the way the psalmist does? What blessings come to those who following the psalmists example, truly trust God? *Reflecting on what it means to wait on the Lord (see first point above), Sean said — “Waiting for the LORD brings renewal of strength. When guitar strings are loose, you can’t play any music. When you strum it, you’ll only hear the cacophonous clattering of metal strings against the body of the guitar. It’s only when the strings are taut that the guitar gives forth music. Likewise, it’s only Christians who know how to live in the tension between the “already, but not yet” reality of our salvation and the Kingdom of God, only those who hope in the LORD and wait on the LORD, who have the strength to bring forth beautiful music pleasing to God with their lives.” How does this excellent explanation of what it means to wait on the Lord (A) instruct and (B) encourage you? *Re-read verses 6 and 7. Shawn said regarding these verses — “Of course, in one sense, God is omniscient and eternal, and doesn’t forget anything. God will never suffer from memory loss or forgetfulness. However, God chooses to overlook offense and He chooses not to “remember” our sins against us, meaning He does not treat us according to our sins, but according to His mercy.” This is fundamental gospel truth that many of us are familiar with. How are you doing with keep this truth ever before you every day? How do you want to grow in that way? *On verses 9-14, Shawn said, “The “fear of the LORD” and “humility” before God are the same thing, and we often find them paired together in Proverbs (e.g. Prov. 15:33; 22:4). Those who fear the LORD are humble, because they are not wise in their own eyes, and instead find wisdom in God’s Word. Those who fear the LORD are humble, because they care about what God thinks about them more than what other people or they themselves think about them. Those who fear the LORD are humble, because they do not deny their sins, and instead confess them. It’s people like that that learn from God and follow Him.” Why is it so important that we seek to grow in the fear of the Lord and seek to grow in humility? What does it look like practically for us to pursue humility and fear of the Lord? *Consider taking time to pray asking God to help us to grow in our trust in God, even as we wait on Him.