Have you ever felt the frustrating desire for guidance on a matter that seems to linger without answer? Perhaps you have experienced the tension of being in the midst of a situation without a sure outcome or a clear path forward. Temptation to anxiety, stagnation, prideful rebellion, and despair abound at the crossroads and uncertainties of life. The paralysis of indecision often proves just as dangerous as a confident, poor decision. 

Or perhaps, you have found yourself not at a crossroad — but the wilderness. No roads to be seen at all. No destination in sight. You long for a path forward, then ask yourself: “Where is forward?” You have no compass. Feeling lost and ill-equipped to navigate through this season, you long for a shepherd to lead you. A teacher to equip you. A father to encourage you. A lamp to guide your way through this darkness. 

Now imagine, in this wilderness you see a faint light. A humble path — Giving way to the first sigh of relief and a flicker of hope. You are no longer aimless and left to your own devices. You now have a direction, a purpose, and a next step. 

What if I told you — this was not just any path, but one that has been marked out for you. A path that leads to eternal joy and everlasting praise. On this path — you will have choices to make, temptations to resist, hardships to bear, afflictions to endure, joys to experience, friendships to help you, and counsel to guide you. When faced with threats, who will you look to? Are you allured? Curious to become more deeply acquainted with the One who has marked out this path before you?

He is the One who formed you (Ps 139:13). He is acquainted with all your ways (Ps 139:3) and has authored all your days (Ps 139:16). He has prepared you for good works (Eph 2:10), has promised to never leave or forsake you (Deut 31:8), loves you with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3), and holds all authority in heaven and earth (Matt 28:18). He who leads you did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself and became a servant (Phil 2:5-11). He set his face like a flint toward the cross in Jerusalem and bore shame and reproach on the road to Calvary. He died the death you deserved and clothed you in His own righteousness. He has now gone ahead to prepare a dwelling place for you (John 14:2) , and is committed to presenting you blameless before the throne of God with great joy (Jude 1:24). 

. . . . . 

When I first understood the gospel and (by the grace of God) responded in faith — life seemed to be full of such steady, exciting growth. Steps were placed before me, before I knew to ask for them. Soon after, strong winds had caused my roots to sink deeper. The intensifying heat of the day served to increase my thirst for the Living waters. My desire for light rose when darkness hindered my sight.

I began to long for a path. I yearned for guidance and direction. At the time, I had just started taking classes again after a year off from school. Woodworking became my escape from daily pressures and thoughts about an unknown future. Pulling out the cardboard boxes of scrap wood stored under the workbench in our garage, I began creating mosaics of complicated patterns, colors, and directions. I was drawn to the feeling of satisfaction and order from creating a detailed design and placing each tiny piece where it belonged. 

In a world of opportunity around every corner and many different paths in view, what was I supposed to do with the rest of my life? I knew I had to pray about the matter.

Before my eyes had even opened the next morning, these words had just about startled me awake: “Good and upright is the LORD“. I might attempt to describe it as: the weight of a fixed truth, deeply impressed upon the heart. Initially, it seemed like such an odd verse to come to mind — but it stirred curious thought to keep engaging with this truth and seek out the rest of the verse. Using a concordance, I found Psalm 25:8, which read: “Good and upright is the LORD, therefore He teaches sinners His ways“.

Questions soon followed. How does a “good” and “upright” God treat His children? What are God’s ways like? What are the prerequisites to receiving God’s guidance and instruction? And then… the reminder that encouraged my heart most in that moment: God teaches sinners his ways! A weight fell off my shoulders and I could breathe. I could be honest with God. I did not have to hide from Him. My tendency to wander was not an obstacle to receiving His guidance and instruction. I did not know what to do next in life, but I had this new assurance from the promise that God would teach me His ways. Sinners, justified by Christ alone, can be confident of God’s guidance. 

Psalm 25 as a whole is instructive to us in praying for the guidance of God and encourages us with the basis of expectation for His answer. The contents of David’s supplication in this prayer bring our minds and hearts in harmony with the Lord’s. The highlighted truths of this passage then seem to intentionally break out into the rest of scripture — encouraging continued engagement with the text. 

This Psalm is most helpful in learning to reorient the priorities of our lives and the desires of our hearts — so that, when you go to study a situation, you may discern what is the best path to take by knowing the character, commands, and purposes of God in His Word.