David’s meditations in the Psalms are essentially prayers, and are a help for us in assessing the quality of our relationship with God. Are we able to meditate and pray to the same degree?

Psalm 25 has some verses to inspire us. “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths” (verse 4). We are asking God to ‘make’ us! What child asks a parent to ‘make’ him or her be good? And not just once, but constantly, as a way of life! Verse 5 says, “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long”. David is asking God to ‘lead him’ and ‘teach him’. The Hebrew for “lead” is interesting, occurring again in verse 9 (“He leads the humble in what is right”). The AV has ‘guides’ and the Hebrew has the sense of bending the bow to ‘guide’ the arrow.

David first uses this word in Psalm 7:12, “If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow”. In Psalm 11:2 David says, “behold, the wicked bend the bow … to shoot … at the upright in heart”. The bow is bent to guide the arrow to its intended destination. The aim of God and the aim of the ungodly are opposite. Also in verse 5 we noted the words, “for you I wait all the day long”. In what sense does David wait? The word also occurs in verse 3, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame”. Verse 21 says, “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for thee”. There has to be a quality of character in our waiting, and we are waiting for the return of Christ.

The Hebrew word for wait is interesting, in Psalm 69:20 it is translated, “I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none”. When you are waiting you are looking for something or someone! How fascinating then, that the first time this word is used in Genesis 1:9. “And God said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together and let the dry land appear.” We are waiting for our Lord to be gathered together to be with him.

Finally we can use Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 3:5, which reflect David’s, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ” (AV). The ESV has “to the steadfastness of Christ”. Let us be steadfast in our patient waiting, aiming for “integrity and uprightness”.