Psalm 25 — He teaches sinners and the humble His way.

When enemies surround you, lift up your soul to God in Psalm 25, and you will see these evildoers put to flight.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

This psalm is all about finding the way or path of the Lord. God teaches and leads even the guilty sinners. This is one we all need.

Verses 1 to 7a of Psalm 25 in the 12th-century St. Albans Psalter

I tend to forget that when I'm not being humble, it's as if I'm telling God I know better than he does.

25.9 God Teaches the Humble

Instructing the Humble. Augustine. [God] will teach his ways not to those who want to run on ahead, as if they could rule themselves better than he can, but to those who do not strut about with their heads i the air or dig in their heels, when his easy yoke and light burden are set on them. Expositions on the Psalms.

Psalms 1-50 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)

25:21 Wait for God

Love by His Strength. Cassiodorus. The church says that the innocent and upright have adhered to the church because it waited on the Lord; otherwise it could not love such people if it was not seen to be confident of such strength. Explanation of the Psalms.

Psalms 1-50 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)

I like the fact that it is the humble sinner who is beseeching God. No matter how hard I try I will never be perfect. It is God's grace to us as we are which gives hope and love.

Those humble sinners who fear Yahweh also hope and trust only in him. It is important to note that it is "hope" and "trust" that link the humble sinners to the covenant with God, not sinless obedience. Here is a clear statement of the gospel of grace in the heart of the Old Testament. When the psalmist declares that "all the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant", we immediately think of the law and the necessity of keeping its commandments. But the broader context of this psalm chips away at our traditional view of an Old Testament covenant of law and sharpens our vision of a covenant of grace offered to sinners in both Old and New Testaments. The Torah is then the guidebook by which "sinners" are led into a covenant of grace, acknowledging their sinfulness and relying wholly on the gracious mercy of God for salvation.

Psalms vol. 1 (The NIV Application Commentary)

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here.