Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
15 For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20 Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
By Mike Chaffin
This is the third of David’s four penitential prayers to God. Yes, David penned four that survived and made it into the book of Psalms. A man after God’s own heart, King of Israel, and the man whom an heir would be on the throne culminating in Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords repeatedly fell into sin.
However, this man, who continually sought God’s guidance and protection, who wrote over seventy psalms of praise and worship, when finding himself separated from God by sin, knew to ask for forgiveness.
One interpretation of this psalm is that David is having a health issue that he feels is God’s judgement on him for his sinfulness. I think David is using a health metaphor as a reference to the shame he feels over sin in his life. He is so ashamed of what he has done it is creating a chasm from God of his own making. He doesn’t want to share with others and is afraid to confess this sin to God. In poetic form he relates, starting in verse 18, that he confesses his sin, is sorry, and knows God is the source of his salvation.
I think we have all been in David’s shoes. Sin’s enticements keep us from coming to God, or if a Christian, cause shame, and separation. The good news is Jesus came to forgive us and knows our weaknesses. If we have accepted Christ as Savior then we must turn from those sins, ask for forgiveness and help to overcome an issue that seeks to tear us away from Him.
If you are suffering from a sinful life, filled with shame and regrets, and have never come to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation it is as easy as ABC.
A – Admit You’ve Done Bad Things
All of us have sinned (or “done bad things”). We must admit this to ourselves. We must admit this to Jesus.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23
B – Believe That Jesus Died for You
Jesus was punished for all our sins when He died on the cross. Then He rose again so we could be forgiven. Jesus sacrificed His life so you could be saved. Believe it!
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. John 6:47
C – Confess and Choose
When you believe in Jesus, confess your sins to Him, asking for Him to take them away and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Receive Him into your life as Lord. Then choose to follow Jesus as His son or daughter.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12
