What does Psalm 25:16 mean?

David needed the Lord's friendship especially because he felt lonely and distressed. His sons had turned against him (2 Samuel 15:13–15), and Ahithophel, his friend and counselor, had also turned against him (2 Samuel 15:31). However, David knew the Lord would not abandon him. Loneliness is common, but it can be very distressing, especially if circumstances are harsh. In Psalm 23 David expressed his confidence that God was present with him even as David walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

Now, in Psalm 25, he is facing dark shadows—dangerous circumstances—and therefore needs a fresh sense of the Lord's presence. The patriarch Joseph must have felt lonely in Egypt. He was far from the comfort of his father Jacob's home, and he was in prison, but the Lord was with him (Genesis 39:21, 23). Regardless of how distressing circumstances are for God's people, they cannot force God to forsake us (Romans 8:35–39). He is with us always as our closest friend.