O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me, but with justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing. Jeremiah 10:23-24
The penitent is here acknowledging that he has walked a crooked path; his steps have not been directed by the Lord. He is pleading for mercy—for otherwise, who can stand before a holy God?
