What does Psalm 25:4 mean?

Life is a journey, not a single step. This is something David's words recognize with clarity. In this psalm he uses the word "way" four times and "path" twice.

Wisely, David does not lean on his own wisdom for direction in life. Rather, he asks the Lord for guidance. His prayer honors the counsel given in Proverbs 3:5–6. These verses state: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Making our own plans rather than seeking and following God's plans can lead to disaster. Proverbs 14:12 insists, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Similarly, the apostle James writes: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring…Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:13–15).