Still Not Ashamed

“O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. … Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.” – Psalm 25:2,20

While the writing in Romans 1:16 is very much a declaration of who Paul is, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ”, I sense a few other meanings out of these writings in this Psalm.  I get the idea that part of the focus is on God to perform His great works according to David’s faith.  “I trust in You” he says.  I get the feeling that he is saying to God, “don’t allow me to be led to shame for my trust in You”.  I really don’t know how to comprehend that thought.  Would David really infer that to God?  It is as if he is saying to God - you know, the God of all who could destroy him at any instance or who could erase him as having lived at all so that no one would ever know his name or the thought of him – he is saying don’t “leave me hanging”. 

As you read the rest of Psalm 25 you can interpret the idea that David is declaring and asking together for the principles of God’s character - integrity, uprightness, mercy, grace, and great love - to be true and that his dedication to God’s character will deliver him because God deliver’s those who trust in Him.  He says three times “I trust in You” and he asks for deliverance from enemies who hate, from the traps set by them, and from their dealings in treacherously without cause. 

David is clear in his request that his enemies not triumph.  “Do not let that which is opposed to You celebrate in victory!”  This is a root of this Psalm.  The very idea that God might allow those who work against God, against His precepts, and against His people to be able to show themselves and their fake gods as more powerful or more present than the one true living God is incomprehensible!!  “It shall not be allowed!” David wants to cry in anger and anguish, but he knows it is up to God.  So he pleads that God not allow it and to save him who trusts in Him.  “Let me not be ashamed” David says.  I think the best interpretation is “Do not give them cause to not believe the name of the Lord is the only name that matters.  May they know there is one true living God and it is Yahweh.”