Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5
Today’s verse is quite a prayer. In it we find the petitioner asking for a God-glorifying lifestyle, one which requires that we wait upon the Lord if need be . . . all day. This kind of prayer also requires of us the strongest form of humility. To be shown, taught, and led requires a fear, an awe, of the Lord, a decrease in ourselves and an increase God - “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.” - Proverbs 15:33.
One might venture to ask, “How, how can God show, teach, and lead me?” And rather than over-analyze the means and the methods, we need not complicate what stands before our very eyes and ears - the Word of God! By reading and hearing the Word of God we are shown, taught, and led to the ways, paths, and truths contained in Holy Scripture. Therein we find the God of our salvation. We need look no further. The Bible provides us with all we’ll ever need -
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17. It truly is as described in the Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) under the heading, “Chapter 1 - Of the Holy Scriptures” - The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
( 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Galatians 1:8,9; John 6:45; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; 1 Corinthians 11:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 14:26,40)
And this Word of God is more than sufficient to accomplish the petitions within the prayer because God intends for it to winnow out the chaff and to separate the tares. And what God intends is His will - “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:11.
If God’s Word returns empty, it is only because God intended for it to return empty; it is part of His decree - “For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14. As we are called out of the wilderness by God’s holy word, some will indeed respond to His offer of salvation while others will remain dead in their sin.
Salvation awaits the humble heart. Perdition awaits the proud. For if we truly seek God, we need only surrender our human pride to be shown, taught, and led by God’s holy word.
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