Psalm 25:20

Guard my soul and deliver me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in you.

Psalm 25 is a psalm of David, in which he prays for defense, guidance, and pardon.

Thoughts for the day...
When I read these words, I think of an old Newboys song, "Not Ashamed." Here's the chorus from that song:

I'm not ashamed to let you know,
I want this light in me to show.
I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ.

It's easy to say that I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Christ; I'm sure it's easy for many of us. But what about how we speak the name of Christ without using words? What I mean is, in my daily existence, am I showing others that I'm not ashamed of Christ through the things that I do? As Christians, are we behaving in a way that would glorify Him, a way that others would clearly know that we are Christ-followers? For me, the answer doesn't require a second thought: no, I don't always live this way. I know there are times that I've been selfish; there are times when I've been impatient and less than understanding with people; there are times when I've listened to, and participated in, gossip. There are other examples, but I'm not big into self-flagellation, so I'm going to stick with those for now. If others see me behaving like this, how am I showing them that I'm living for Christ? I'm not. By giving in to these worldly vices, and not taking a stand and saying, "this is wrong," I'm essentially saying that I'm ashamed of the name of Christ; I'm not doing what He would do in the same situation.

And this type of behavior is what non-believers find incredible--that we proclaim we're Christians, but then live our lives in a manner contrary to that proclamation. They believe us to be hypocrites--and they're right. We can't be ashamed of doing what God has commanded us to do.

My Prayer
Father in heaven, let me not be ashamed of Your word. Let me not be ashamed of Your name and Your commands. I know that I make mistakes--more often than I care to admit. But I know You are forgiving of those mistakes. My fear is that others, non-believers in particular, don't understand this forgiveness, and when they see me behaving in these ways, they're turned off from hearing about You. I'm stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. I try to live my life for You, but I keep screwing it up, and people are watching. Father, help me continue to walk in Your ways and be a light to the world. Help others understand that while we all may be trying our best, we will stumble, we will fall. Help others to forgive us when we do so, as You do.