Psalm 25

 1To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

2in You, my God, I trust.

Do not let me be put to shame;

do not let my enemies exult over me.

3Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame;

but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.

4Show me Your ways, O LORD;

teach me Your paths.

5Guide me in Your truth and teach me,

for You are the God of my salvation;

all day long I wait for You.

6Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion,

for they are from age to age.

7Remember not the sins of my youth,

nor my rebellious acts;

remember me according to Your loving devotion,

because of Your goodness, O LORD.

8Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore He shows sinners the way.

9He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them His way.

10All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful

to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.

11For the sake of Your name, O LORD,

forgive my iniquity, for it is great.

12Who is the man who fears the LORD?

He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.

13His soul will dwell in prosperity,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

14The LORD confides in those who fear Him,

and reveals His covenant to them.

15My eyes are always on the LORD,

for He will free my feet from the mesh.

16Turn to me and be gracious,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart increase;

free me from my distress.

18Consider my affliction and trouble,

and take away all my sins.

19Consider my enemies, for they are many,

and they hate me with vicious hatred.

20Guard my soul and deliver me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in You.

21May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

because I wait for You.b

22Redeem Israel, O God,

from all its distress.
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Thoughts: This is an honest song.  It contradicts itself with trust and worry.  This is the way life is.  We walk by faith, but we are not on the perfect side of heaven yet.  So we also worry when we are afflicted or in trouble.  
There are amazing - and true promises to claim here.  Here is a list:
1) None who wait for you will be put to shame.  
2) He shows sinners the way
3) He guides the humble
4) His ways are loving and right to those who keep His covenant and decrees

There are also many prayers: Show me your ways; guide me in your truth; remember not my sins but remember me; forgive me; free me from my distress; guard my soul; May integrity and uprightness preserve me; redeem Israel from all their troubles. 
This Psalm is a hopeful Psalm of someone in trouble.  He wrestles with the dissonance of promises, prayers, and the trouble he is currently facing.   In the end, he does not give up on hoping in God.  
Missionaries do not paint a picture that when we begin to believe all our troubles disappear.  Instead, missionaries struggle in their call as an example of Christ who was on the cross.  The sadness, inequities and hurts of life are great.  Yet, we believe because in Christ we do not have to give into despair.  God can help us and lift us up in the midst of our crosses and afflictions in life.  

Prayer: Lord, to you I lift up my soul.  I trust and wait in you.  When I face afflictions and crosses, help me to find hope in you.