The Bible has a way of creating and relieving tension, and sometimes creating without relieving tension. Psalm 25 creates tension. Certainly, there is plenty of praise in this psalm, but there's also a theological quandary that David finds himself in. You can see this tension best at verses 10-11. On the one hand, David seems to be pretty strict that one has to rise to meet the "demands of the covenant" (verse 10), yet David in at least two places (verses 7 and 11) confesses and repents from his past. Holiness and grace are held in tension. It's a tension I hope we all feel, because falling to one side or the other can be somewhat dangerous.
How do we handle to the Jesus who says at one moment "Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest" and at another moment says "Take up your cross and follow me" to His disciples? How do we live in the tension of radical obedience and unrelenting grace? I'm not sure I fully know. I suppose that what God has taught me in the trying times is that sometimes obedience is coming to Jesus when I am weary and taking His rest. How do you live in the tension of radical obedience and unrelenting grace?
Trying to keep both in mind(radical obedience and amazing, unrelenting grace) when I fail is what I have a hard time doing. I tend to beat myself up for sometime, before remembering and realizing Abba is patiently waiting for me to come back to Him, ask for His forgiveness, and get back on His path for my life. How awesome is our Father in heaven!!!!! Amen!
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