December 19, 2017
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Psalm 31-40? Here’s today’s reading:
Psalm 38 (ESV)
O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no 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 stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
7 For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart....Continue Reading
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A sobering psalm, that’s for sure. It not only reminds us of how much pain our sin causes us. Like it says:
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
But then at the same time, we know the rest of the story. We know that God’s grace takes this burden of sin off of us. He doesn’t forget it, becuase he had to pay for it in full, instead he forgives us of it and loves us in spite of it. And when we accept his son, we become blameless so now he doesn’t even see it on us anymore. Thank you, Heavelny Father!!!
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!❤️
Repentance
It is both God’s kindness (Romans 2:4) and godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) that leads to repentance, and we are wise to operate in both. Certainly it is no mystery which of these this Psalm focuses on. In clinging to kindness we need to avoid licentiousness and in focusing on godly sorrow we need to avoid condemnation. It is understanding the balance in God’s character that will keep us in balance. Grace should lead us to say no to ungodliness not revel in it.
And the first verse reminded me of Hebrews where we are told and we can know that God disciplines us out of love and not wrath or anger. How good it is that God is both righteous and kind, because we certainly need Him to be both. Our pride needs to be brought down and our humility needs to be lifted up. Praise be to God that He makes both possible!