Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.
Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
- Psalm 25:20-22

All this week we’ve been looking at Psalm 25. In it, David has written beautifully about his trust in the Lord and the blessings that come to him as he does the hard work of placing his trust in the Lord.

Suddenly, right at the end of the psalm, David zooms out. His focus shifts dramatically. His final petition to the Lord isn’t for himself, but is instead for his nation.

Some may read this as an abrupt “ps.” at the end of the psalm; as if David threw one prayer up for Israel on his way out the door. But that’s probably not actually case. David knew that his hard work to trust the Lord – to follow the Lord, to learn from the Lord, to take refuge in the Lord – would have ripple effects in his community.

When David was a young man his trust in the Lord filled him with courage to protect his sheep, fight Goliath, and win battles for Israel. When David was in the prime of his life his trust in the Lord helped him navigate the tricky political landscape of his community and be the leader Israel needed. In his old age, David would continue to trust in the Lord, foregoing vengeance because he believed that was what would be best for Israel. Throughout David’s life his trust in the Lord had a direct impact on Israel (his community).

Our trust in the Lord also has a direct impact on the people around us. When we trust the Lord we don’t place the burden of our ultimate happiness, health, and contentment on our family, friends and neighbors (who can’t carry that load). We move more quickly to forgive. We can walk the difficult paths of integrity even when the rewards of that integrity are deferred.

Zoom out for a moment today. Who is currently being blessed by your trust in the Lord? How are you experiencing the blessing of someone else’s commitment to trusting the Lord?