In The Word
Read: Psalms 38
Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
38 Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
2 For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is no healthy part in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go in mourning all day long.
7 For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no healthy part in my flesh.
8 I feel faint and badly crushed;
I groan because of the agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand far away.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
And they plot deception all day long.
13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
And I am like a person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For I wait for You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I admit my guilt;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong,
And those who wrongfully hate me are many.
20 And those who repay evil for good,
They become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
My God, do not be far from me!
22 Hurry to help me,
Lord, my salvation!
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
This is King David’s supplication to the Lord. He is repenting to God since he was not living in accordance to the Word of God. King David was asking for God’s forgiveness.
This could be why the Lord said David was the man after His own heart. King David was willing to admit his faults and repent to the Lord when he sinned against Him. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This tells me that there is no forgiveness or cleansing of our sins without confession, and confession only comes from admitting we are wrong, lost, and in need of Jesus’ help. In Psalms 38:10-14, David talks about how his ways failed him and that there is nothing he is able to do on his own because he has been forsaken by his very own companions, the people he trusted. The Lord’s hand was so heavy on Him that no one wanted to help Him in His suffering, nobody except God.
Our own sins can make us subject to the Lords wrath and chastisement. We are His children, and He will do anything to drive foolishness from our hearts, even the rod of discipline (Proverbs 22:15).
As you go through your day today ask yourself if you are entertaining any sin in your life. Remember, “There is no forgiveness or cleansing of our sins without confession” (1 John 1:9).