today's meditation (Ps.38) Needing the Lord's Help

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 38:1-22)  Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,

     And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
2   For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
     And Your hand has pressed down on me.
3   There is no healthy part in my flesh because of Your indignation;
     There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4   For my guilty deeds have gone over my head;
     Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5   My wounds grow foul and fester 
     Because of my foolishness.
6   I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
     I go in mourning all day long.
7   For my sides are filled with burning,
     And there is no healthy part in my flesh.
8   I feel faint and badly crushed;
     I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

9   Lord, all my desire is before You;
     And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
     And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
     And my kinsmen stand far away.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
     And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
     And they plot deception all day long.

13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
     And I am like a person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
     And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For I wait for You, Lord;
     You will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
     Who, when my foot slips, would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
     And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I admit my guilt;
     I am full of anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong,
     And those who wrongfully hate me are many.
20 And those who repay evil for good,
     They become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
     My God, do not be far from me!
22 Hurry to help me,
     Lord, my salvation!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we sin, we will be eaten up with guilt until we confess.  And the guilt will continue eating away at us, causing us to be uncomfortable and annoyed.  Those who do not want to own up to their sin, will learn to ignore those feelings in order to continue living a sinful lifestyle, which demonstrates that they hate what is good.  Therefore, it makes sense that they will hate those who do seek after what is good.  

Until we die - all of us have been given the opportunity to realize and admit our sins, in order to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  In order to live forever - we need His salvation!  And as we wait on Him and do good, He will help us.  And until we die - we need His help!!!

today's meditation (Psalm 37) Allowing God to Use Us

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 37:1-40)   Do not get upset because of evildoers,

     Do not be envious of wrongdoers.
2   For they will wither quickly like the grass,
     And decay like the green plants.
3   Trust in the Lord and do good;
     Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4   Delight yourself in the Lord;
     And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5   Commit your way to the Lord,
     Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6   He will bring out your righteousness as the light,
     And your judgment as the noonday.

7   Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
     Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way,
     Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8   Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
     Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9   For evildoers will be eliminated,
     But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
     And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land 
     And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous,
     And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
     For He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow 
     To take down the afflicted and the needy,
     To kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
     And their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous 
     Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
     But the Lord sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
     And their inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
     And in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish;
     And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures,
     They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
     But the righteous is gracious and gives.
22 For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
     But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
     And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
     Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
     Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken 
     Or his descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
     And his descendants are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,
     So that you will dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice 
     And does not abandon His godly ones;
     They are protected forever,
     But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will inherit the land 
     And dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
     And his tongue speaks justice.
31 The Law of his God is in his heart;
     His steps do not slip.
32 The wicked spies upon the righteous 
      And seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand 
     Or let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
     And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
     When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked, violent person 
     Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
     I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the blameless person, and look at the upright;
     For the person of peace will have a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed;
     The future of the wicked will be eliminated.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
     He is their strength in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
     He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
     Because they take refuge in Him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we see evil, we can react in several different ways which are pointed out in this psalm.  We can let it frazzle us, or we can become jealous of their seemingly cavalier or "successful" lifestyle, or we can be complacent and accept it, or we can be fearful and run for the hills thinking we can protect ourselves, or we can do what God wants us to do... trust in Him and do good.  

To fight evil with evil only adds more evil to the world.  To be jealous will only amp up the temptation to join in evil activities.  Just trusting God is good, but that would be more of a complacent stance.  We are consider what we are doing.  It requires more trust when we step up and do God's will.

To trust God AND do good... will actually help.  Not that God needs us, but God wants us to help, which will help others and ourselves.  Verse 3 is very clear - that we should not run away and hide, but we should live IN the land and be a shining example of how to live in God's will, in God's love, peace and confidence.  

The command to commit our way to the Lord evokes a very strong picture of us taking a stand with Him - not in our own strength - but in His strength!  Verse 6 is very clear that God will do this FOR us.  And God is faithful.  

Verse 24 lets us know that when believers fall, God still protects us.  And as verse 28 says, our salvation is secure.  Verses 32-33 say that believers will not be condemned when we are judged.  Everyone will be judged.  Unbelievers will be judged for their sin.  Believers will be judged and rewarded for doing good deeds with the right motives.  The key is, that no matter what is happening around us, we need to allow God to work in and through us.   

today's meditation (Psalm 36) Humbling Our Hearts

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 36:1-12)  For the music director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

1   Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within his heart;
     There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2   For it flatters him in his own eyes 
     Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it.
3   The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
     He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4   He plans wickedness on his bed;
     He sets himself on a path that is not good;
     He does not reject evil.

5   Your mercy, Lord, extends to the heavens,
     Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6   Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
     Your judgments are like the great deep.
     Lord, You protect mankind and animals.
7   How precious is Your mercy, God!
     And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8   They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
     And You allow them to drink from the river of Your delights.
9   For the fountain of life is with You;
     In Your light we see light.

10 Prolong Your mercy to those who know You,
     And Your righteousness to the upright of heart.
11 May the foot of pride not come upon me,
     And may the hand of the wicked not drive me away.
12 Those who do injustice have fallen there;
     They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God looks at and judges the heart.  The condition of a heart reveals who a person is and what they are all about.  There are only two kinds of hearts:  

Verse 1 mentions the ungodly heart.  Because of pride, a person thinks they are wise and good and strong all on their own.  They decide to trust in themselves, or create something that they want to trust in.  And even though there is evidence all around them, they do not want or see a need to be saved.  Eventually the proud will fall.

Verse 10 mentions the upright heart - the godly heart.  This is only possible when a person humbles their heart and sees their need to be saved, understanding how limited we are, and how vast, amazing and delightful the Lord is.  

The evidence is overwhelming, and the humble heart can see and understand that God is merciful, faithful, righteous, all-powerful, life and light.  The humble heart accepts the salvation that is available through the Lord Jesus Christ, and embraces His forgiveness, mercy and grace.

When we accept the Lord as our Savior, He enters our heart, and changes us from the inside out.  And because of the righteousness of Jesus, the humble will rise.  As we learn more about God, we can see that we can trust in Him, not only for our eternal security, but for guidance, provisions and refuge.  

today's meditation (Psalm 35) Asking God to Fight Our Battles

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 35:1-28)  Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;

     Fight against those who fight against me.
2   Take hold of buckler and shield 
     And rise up as my help.
3   Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
     Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4   Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
     Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5   Let them be like chaff before the wind,
     With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6   Let their way be dark and slippery,
     With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7   For they hid their net for me without cause;
     Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8   Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
     And let the net which he hid catch him;
     Let him fall into that very destruction.

9   So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord;
     It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You,
     Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him,
     And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
     They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good,
     To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
     I humbled my soul with fasting,
     But my prayer kept returning to me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
     I bowed down in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
     The afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
     They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
     They gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long will You look on?
     Rescue my soul from their ravages,
     My only life from the lions.
18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
     I will praise You among a mighty people.
19 Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
     Nor let those who hate me for no reason wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
     But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They opened their mouth wide against me;
     They said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”

22 You have seen it, Lord, do not keep silent;
     Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir Yourself, and awake to my right 
     And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
     And do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
     Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
26 May those be ashamed and altogether humiliated who rejoice at my distress;
     May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
 
27 May those shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in my vindication;
     And may they say continually, “The Lord be exalted,
     Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness 
     And Your praise all day long.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is interesting that the world likes to hear "David and Goliath" stories.  They seem to know this one:  the small person fighting against the giant and being victorious.  Yet here is David himself saying in verse 10. "Lord, who is like You, Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him...?"

David knew to seek the Lord's help regarding his enemies.  Even against Goliath, David as a boy understood that the Lord is his strength, as he says here in verse 9, "So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, it shall rejoice in His salvation."

It is one thing to find yourself facing a giant and thinking that maybe you have a chance and you are strong or smart enough, and how will you know if you don't try?.. It is quite another thing to go for the sure thing of victory by asking God to fight your battles for you.  Not only will God fight our battles for us, but God asks that we leave these things to Him.

today's meditation (Psalm 34) Boasting in the Lord

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 34:1-22)  I will bless the Lord at all times;

     His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2   My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
     The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3   Exalt the Lord with me,
     And let’s exalt His name together.

4   I sought the Lord and He answered me,
     And rescued me from all my fears.
5   They looked to Him and were radiant,
     And their faces will never be ashamed.
6   This wretched man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
     And saved him out of all his troubles.
7   The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
     And rescues them.

8   Taste and see that the Lord is good;
     How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9   Fear the Lord, you His saints;
     For to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
     But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
     I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the person who desires life 
     And loves length of days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil 
     And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
     Seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
     And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
     To eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears
     And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted 
     And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The afflictions of the righteous are many,
     But the Lord rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
     Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will bring death to the wicked,
     And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord redeems the souls of His servants,
     And none of those who take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

"His praise shall be continually in my mouth."  The Lord's praise!  Not just my praise for the Lord.  He deserves more than what I can offer.  As I desire that God does everything for me, why not ask that God put praises in my mouth and in my heart?  God is able to do everything perfectly... better than I could ever do!  As well, we - His servants - let us gather together to serve Him and exalt the Lord together, in His strength and guidance.  

Just like going to a concert or a game, being there in person is so much better than seeing it virtually.  And during this pandemic while we had to quarantine, we might have become a little complacent about going to church, but once we are there and praising the Lord together, there is an extra blessing of encouragement!  To learn and boast about what God has all done!  As God works through each and every one us, it is not us doing this work, but the Lord!  And He will accomplish great things!

today's meditation (Psalm 33) Beholding God

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 33:1-22)  Sing for joy in the Lord, you righteous ones;

     Praise is becoming to the upright.
2   Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
     Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
3   Sing to Him a new song;
     Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4   For the word of the Lord is right,
     And all His work is done in faithfulness.
5   He loves righteousness and justice;
     The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6   By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
     And by the breath of His mouth all their lights.
7   He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
     He puts the depths in storehouses.
8   Let all the earth fear the Lord;
     Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9   For He spoke, and it was done;
     He commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord nullifies the plan of nations;
     He frustrates the plans of peoples.
11 The plan of the Lord stands forever,
     The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
     The people He has chosen for His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
     He sees all the sons of mankind;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out 
     On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
     He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
     A warrior is not rescued by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
     Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
     On those who wait for His faithfulness,
19 To rescue their soul from death 
     And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
     He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
     Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your favor, Lord, be upon us,
     Just as we have waited for You.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As Christians, how much time do we spend thanking and praising the Lord versus grumbling and being critical?  The latter is not becoming!  And it is not only unproductive, but it is destructive.  Our desire should be to encourage and support and help equip and build up the kingdom of the Lord!

Verse 8 is clear that we should LET all the earth fear the Lord.  Who are we to hinder anyone from going to the Lord and expressing their praises to Him!  If there is anything to be stopped, the Lord will handle it.  If there is anything happening that is against the Lord's plan, He will take care of it.  If there is some sort of destructive activity going on in your home or church, God's word gives us insight into how that should be handled properly.

In this particular passage, if we study all the words highlighted in purple, we can see that our priorities and purpose are to:

- praise the Lord and give thanks 

- play and sing songs to the best of our abilities

- encourage all to fear the Lord and stand in awe

- gain knowledge and understanding of God

- fear the Lord

- wait on the Lord and trust in Him

- and rejoice!

today's meditation (Psalm 32) Allowing God to Direct Our Paths

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 32:1-11)  How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,

     Whose sin is covered!
2   How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account,
     And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3   When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away 
     Through my groaning all day long.
4   For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
     My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah 
5   I acknowledged my sin to You,
     And I did not hide my guilt;
     I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”;
     And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 
6   Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
     Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
7   You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble;
     You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 

8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
     I will advise you with My eye upon you.
9   Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
     Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
     Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 The sorrows of the wicked are many,
     But the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
     And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 1 talks about how blessed a Christian is.  Our sins are forgiven and covered by the blood that Jesus shed for us... And like it says in verse 2, when God forgives us, He chooses to remember our sins no more.  He takes our account and changes it to - PAID IN FULL - FOREVER, and nothing can change that.

After becoming a believer, even though we are forgiven of all our sins (past, present and future), while here on earth we will still sin, even when we don't want to.  God's desire is that when this happens, we get back to Him immediately to confess and continue on in His will.  If we don't, like it says in verses 3-5, God will convict us and discipline us and allow things to become uncomfortable for us until we see the errors of our way.

The longer we refuse to confess a sin, the more that sin will drain us of our strength, because we are doing things in our own way and in our own strength.  But when we reconcile with God, we can continue on in His strength and grace.  He is most faithful and desires to guide us in the way we should go.

Verse 9 is very clear that God never forces anyone to do anything against their will.  But certainly, we should understand that God wants the very best for us, so it benefits us when our will wants to be aligned with God's will.  If only I could put on a bit and bridle and hand the reins to God, because I know that He will steer me true!!!  Because this is not how God works, I must decide daily that I will continue to look to God for each and every step that I take.

today's meditation (Psalm 31) Acting Immediately vs Waiting

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 31:1-24)   In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;

     Let me never be put to shame;
     In Your righteousness rescue me.
2   Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
     Be a rock of strength for me,
     A stronghold to save me.
3   For You are my rock and my fortress;
     For the sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
4   You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
     For You are my strength.
5   Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
     You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.

6   I hate those who devote themselves to worthless idols,
     But I trust in the Lord.
7   I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
     Because You have seen my misery;
     You have known the troubles of my soul,
8   And You have not handed me over to the enemy;
     You have set my feet in a large place.

9   Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
     My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body too.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow 
     And my years with sighing;
     My strength has failed because of my guilt,
     And my body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a disgrace,
     Especially to my neighbors,
     And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
     Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
     I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the slander of many,
     Terror is on every side;
     While they took counsel together against me,
     They schemed to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
     I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
     Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
     Save me in Your faithfulness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
     Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be speechless,
     Which speak arrogantly against the righteous 
     With pride and contempt.

19 How great is Your goodness,
     Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
     Which You have performed for those who take refuge in You,
     Before the sons of mankind!
20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of mankind;
     You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
     For He has shown His marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged city.
22 As for me, I said in my alarm,
     “I am cut off from Your eyes”;
     Nevertheless You heard the sound of my pleadings 
     When I called to You for help.

23 Love the Lord, all His godly ones!
     The Lord watches over the faithful 
     But fully repays the one who acts arrogantly.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage,
     All you who wait for the Lord.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We should never feel shame because we believe in Jesus.  Even though this may be a struggle from time to time, the shame that we should want to avoid is sinning.  Although even after we sin, we will sometimes struggle with our pride and resist confessing and apologizing.  This becomes self-righteousness, and this in itself is a sin and is shameful! 

In verse 1, David asks to be rescued with God's righteousness.  I love this!  Not only does Jesus give us the perfect example of what righteousness looks like, but God will convict our hearts and guide us towards what we should be doing and saying.  The Bible and the Holy Spirit will enlighten us to God's wisdom and righteousness.  It is better to be wise in God's eyes and look foolish to the world!

Now I'm thinking about God's timing and how it relates to shame vs wisdom.  In verse 24,  we see that we should patiently wait on the Lord... to wait for His perfect timing.  In verse 9, David mentions God's graciousness.  God is amazingly patient with us, because - well - we keep messing up!  But regarding the need for salvation and the need to confess sins and return to the Lord - the time is RIGHT NOW!!!  God's will for these things is that we should not delay.

In verse 2, David asks for this to be done quickly.  Yes, why prolong our own stupidity!!!   Especially since David admits in verse 10 that his strength has failed because of guilt.  In verses 21-22, David even confesses his lack of faith compared to God's when he mentions that even though he felt like God was far from him, God WAS right there and heard his cry for help.

It's okay to want a quick answer to our prayers if our prayers are to know where and how we have strayed, and how can immediately return to living obediently.  God's will supports this "demand".  But we should remain patient when we ask God to help us through things.  So while we wait on the Lord to address things in His perfect timing, we should be using that time to focus on God and living obediently!