“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust,” says David in Psalm 25:1. David by no means had an easy life. Anointed to be king from an early age, he was hunted by King Saul for many years. When he eventually became king, one of his sons died shortly after birth and a different son tried to usurp his throne.
Despite all of that, David says, “Oh my God, in you I trust.” Later in Psalm 25, he says, “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 the day long” (verses 4-5). David trusted God above all other things, even above seemingly unsurpassable trials. He knew that God was bigger than the trials he experienced, so he asked God to show him the ways of God. He wasn’t interested in the ways of men or even in his own ways. He wanted to be taught God’s truth, and he was willing to wait for it.
The way David reacted under trial was a sacrifice. He didn’t yell at God, chastising him for the trials. Instead, he prayed to God, asking for wisdom and guidance – and he didn’t expect to get it on his terms. He sacrificed his emotions in order to remind himself that “all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness” (verse 10).
Who has been David in your life? Who has demonstrated this spirit of sacrifice for you? Whoever it is, you can celebrate the gift they gave you by learning from them and asking God to give you this spirit of sacrifice, too. For your David knows that it’s not about him (or her); rather, it’s all about God. That is the very essence of their spirit.