A Prayer for Merciful Protection and Guidance.
A psalm of David.
V. 1. Unto thee, O Lord, in an emphatic singling out of Yahweh as the one true God, do I lift up my soul, withdrawn from all earthly desires, with a fervent longing for Yahweh's salvation.
V. 2. O my God, I trust in Thee, abiding firmly in this confidence; let me not be ashamed, become an object of mockery; let not mine enemies triumph over me, with exulting jeers over the foolishness of his trust.
V. 3. Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed, their hope coming to naught; let them be ashamed, all their vain hopes being dashed to the ground, which transgress without cause, becoming traitors, perfidious, to the cause of the Lord and of righteousness without provocation, out of pure wickedness.
V. 4. Show me Thy ways, O Lord, so that he might know and understand them properly; teach me Thy paths, God's gracious ways of dealing with His children on earth. V. 5. Lead me in Thy truth, that of His eternal Word, and teach me, that being the only true source of knowledge; for Thou art the God of my salvation, the true and only Deliverer from every form of danger, sin, and death; on Thee do I wait all the day, looking to Him alone for guidance.
V. 6. Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy loving kindnesses, the many instances in which He had shown His kindness and mercy; for they have been ever of old, they are the attributes of the eternal God and heavenly Father. V. 7. Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions, those committed in youthful folly often resting heavily upon the conscience throughout all the years of maturity, and the assurance of their being forgiven yielding great comfort to a harassed heart; according to Thy mercy, His unmerited favor in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, remember Thou me for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord, that being the only hope of a poor sinner. And this hope has the soundest basis.
V. 8. Good and upright is the Lord, faithful, acting in accordance with His promises; therefore will He teach sinners in the way, instructing them which is the right way to go. V. 9. The meek, the humble in heart, will He guide in judgment, guiding them in the knowledge of what is right; and the meek, the real poor sinners, will He teach His way, which is the only right way.
V. 10. All the paths of the Lord, His modes of dealing with His children, are mercy and truth, grace in promising and faithfulness in performing, unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies, letting the Word of God be their only guide in all the vicissitudes of their lives. All this being true with regard to Jehovah, the petition of the poor sinner will surely be heard.
V. 11. For Thy name's sake, 0 Lord, in order to bring honor and glory upon Himself, pardon mine iniquity, the guilt which he had loaded upon himself by his transgressions; for it is great, a confession to which all true children of God will agree as they realize their sinfulness more and more.