Monday, July 7, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Psalm 25:1–10

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to 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 day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (NRSV)

Reflection

We’ve all done and said things that we wish we hadn’t. Often, those are the things we remember most strongly and nag at us most acutely, even if they don’t reflect our true feelings or selves. We all snap in stressful scenes, run out of patience with people, and think poorly of people we don’t get along with.

Carrying around regretful memories, I sometimes think, is almost a form of egotism. “These transgressions aren’t the real me; if only I had kept my cool and done the right thing, I’d be a little closer to perfection. I’d be the type of superhuman I expect to be. I’d be the type of angel that God would be proud of.”

What hubris. If there was one thing we should praise God for, it is selective memory. We fail and fail again, but God forgives us. God’s steadfast love outshines transgressions large and small, committed recently or long ago. When we remember that, we can forget about useless minutia and open our hearts and minds to all God teaches us.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help us maintain a selective memory, one that forgets insults and forgives others, and ourselves. One that never forgets you love us, care for us, and have sent us the greatest gift in your son, Jesus.  

Written by Jim Garner, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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