Wantonly Treacherous
Psalm 25:3–10

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o you ever find yourself going down rabbit holes online?  Of course you do, right?  I certainly do.  The gateway down a rabbit hole for me is way too often something I will never ever do in real life, for example the endless videos of people who have turned their vehicles into their homes (including the little Prius!).  Sometimes that gateway is something I truly love like the best performances at the Tony Awards.  And, sometimes that gateway looks practical, but might really be a function of procrastination.  For example, as I was working on this brief thought for this devotional, my imagination was captured by the language of Psalm 25:3 “let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.” 

Wantonly treacherous is not a turn of phrase that I believe I have ever used.  What does it mean to be wantonly treacherous?  Wondering about that cracks open the rabbit hole.  In the blur of the many definitions surfaced by Google, the understanding of treacherous points to an underlying or hidden danger or is characterized by faithlessness or readiness to betray trust.  The Psalmist is calling for those who are deliberate in underlying danger or faithlessness to be put to shame.  I can totally get onboard for this shaming when I think about others who are wantonly treacherous…until I do a little deeper reflection and realize that I, too, can be wantonly treacherous.    This makes me embrace the Psalmist’s prayer (Ps 25:7) to “not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me.”

Reflection: As we journey through the season of Lent, what does it look like to recognize our own wanton treachery and also be remembered by God’s steadfast love?