To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
—Psalm 25:1-3
What's it mean to "lift up my soul"? My soul is what makes me human. It is that part of me which lives on, even after my body has become dust. Lifting it up to another being (or Being) is an act of offering my entire and eternal self. It is the ultimate act of vulnerability.
In the 25th Psalm, the writer is clearly already feeling quite vulnerable. I don't know who their foes are, but they're beset. But in their danger, they make a choice: If I am to be exposed, then I will open myself up to God; if I belong to God, then those who mean me harm cannot take possession of me.
I offer myself to you, O God; let those of ill will say or do what they want. As long as I am yours, nothing else can overtake me or take me over. Amen.
