Psalm 25:3-5 - Grabbing for the Tree

When I was a boy, the oldest person in our church was a hard-of-hearing widow, Mrs. Corey. The thick glasses she wore after cataract surgery didn't seem to help her vision. Her daughter drove her to church every week, where she would sit in the second pew from the front, next to the center aisle. Front & Center: that gave her the best chance to take in everything during the service.

One time, she had a bad fall from a ladder while picking apples in her yard. Apparently, she reached too far for an apple and started to lose her balance. Fortunately, she suffered bruises instead of broken bones. Her summary of the accident was simple:

"Silly old me,
I grabbed for the ladder
Instead of the tree."

What do we grab onto for stability in our lives?

David wrote: "None of those who wait for You will be ashamed..." (Psalm 25:3, New American Standard, 1995)

However, there have been times that I think I'm trusting God and His ways only to discover that I have been holding on to a wrong idea about God or a misconception of His truth. I grabbed for the ladder instead of the tree.

That's why David adds:
"Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:4–5 (NASB95) 

Father in heaven, I'm still learning to know who You are and what Your word means. Give me wisdom to know what's true, solid, and dependable. Teach me how to wait on You, "all the day." In the name of Jesus I ask this, Amen.