“Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” Psalm 25:1-2 (KJV)
In Genesis 17, Jehovah appears and challenges Abram to commit himself in total surrender to God. And we see that Abram does so by his act of falling prostrate at Jehovah’s feet. Such a total commitment requires faith. Consider that this was not an experience of salvation. Prior to this event, Abram had already believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). This challenge from God and surrender by Abram was something more. It was so important that God memorialized it in Abram’s flesh, changed his name to Abraham, and required all of Abraham’s descendants to be circumcised. It was a red letter day in Abraham’s life. He was totally committed to God and God was totally committed to him.
In today’s passage, the Psalmist approaches God in the same attitude of commitment. “I lift up my soul to you, O God. I trust in you.” That’s his commitment. Then he asks God to be committed to him. “Do not let me be ashamed. Do not let my enemies have victory over me.” This is not some mystical, ‘get-out-of-trouble’ mantra to be chanted when things are not going well. Rather, it is a commitment to be obedient to God in all areas of one’s life . . . total surrender. When we give up self all our past will lose its power over us. When we are totally surrendered to God, our enemies will never have victory over us.
Washington Gladden wrote O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee. Note the first and third verses:
“O Master, let me walk with thee
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me thy secret, help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.”
“Teach me thy patience; still with thee
In closer, dearer company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong.”
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Today, we lift up our souls to you and ask that you strengthen us to be totally committed to you. I pray this in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Let us praise God for his work on Calvary and live a surrendered life,