Psalm 32:8 (KJV)

What does this mean?

This psalm comes after David has confessed his sin and found forgiveness, and now God speaks to him. God promises to teach David the way he should go and to watch over him as he walks it. The picture is of a guide who does not just hand over a map, he walks the road with you, keeping his eye on you.

What does this teach us?

God's guidance is personal, not mechanical. He does not only point the way; he teaches, he watches, and he stays with you on the road, and that guidance comes after honest confession, not before it.

How can we apply this?

If you are unsure which way to go, start with honesty: tell God where you are and what you have done wrong, and ask him to show you the next step. Then watch for his guidance in his Word, in wise counsel, and in the quiet sense of his presence, and take the step he shows you.

Related KJV passages

• “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”

  Psalm 25:9

• “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

  Proverbs 3:6

• “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

  Isaiah 30:21