No one’s life runs perfectly smooth.
There are always bumps along the way. Hiccups. Those potholes that we try to avoid, and we slam into them anyway.
We slap our forehead with the palm of our hand as we say, “Oh, why didn’t I see that coming?”
Here’s how David expresses his regrets in Psalm 25:19:
“Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.”
Picture David on his throne in the dimness of the evening. Braziers of burning oil light the walls, as outside, a blood-red sunset blazes across the sky. David ponders the trickery of his underlings, those foreign generals who have masterminded the defeat of his armies, and his own misguided judgements.
“Consider mine enemies.” David had people who didn’t see eye-to-eye with him. People who wanted to bring him down. Not everyone saw him as God’s gift to the nation of Israel.
“For they are many.” David was overwhelmed. He was one man. They were a hoard in comparison. How could he continue to stand up to them?
“They hate me with cruel hatred.” David was not immune to peer pressure, to his social standing, to his position at the top of the ruling elite in Israel. He wanted to feel respected, and instead, he was crushed by the evil hand of those who disrespected his position as God’s anointed leader of the land.
The next verse shifts the focus from David to God. Psalm 25:20 says:
“O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.”
Here are the 3 regrets we need to toss out:
1. We need to toss out thoughts of our enemies. Instead, focus on David’s words: “O keep my soul, and deliver me.”
2. Jettison the feeling of being overwhelmed. David prays: “Let me not be ashamed.”
3. Slough off our enemies’ hatred like water off a duck’s back. As David says: “For I put my trust in thee.”
Regret drags us down. When we ponder the potholes rather than the goodness of God, we become mired in the mud of regret that has worked itself around our ankles.
When we focus on God and not on our troubles, we can move forward in God and in life. Let’s toss the regrets and place our trust in God.
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