Psalm Chapter 38

A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

Psalm 38:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

Here we see the utter misery that sin causes in the life of any human being. It is bad enough when we suffer unjustly and are falsely accused but when our suffering is a result of our own sin, it is hard to bear because we think the suffering is justified. This could be the time David was in remorse for the sin he committed with Bathsheba.

Psalm 38:4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Sin is heavy indeed. If we try to cover it up, it only gets worse and we sin more to cover up our present sins. It seems an impossible situation.

Psalm 38:5 My wounds stink and are corrupt 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 filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

There are two ways we can react to sin in our lives. One is to gloss over it and excuse ourselves, saying that, "I'm only human." We can go to counselors that will make us feel better about ourselves and tell us that we can't help it and pass the blame on someone else like our parents, our spouses, our co-workers; also a favorite in today's society is to blame the government or the present administration. Just vote out this one and elect another one and all your problems will be solved. NOT. When we are in trouble, we start by searching our own hearts, not blaming others.

There is better way to react to sin in our lives. Repent. Turn around and make a change. Since we are helpless to turn around and change by ourselves, our wonderful, beautiful God made a way for us to get rid of sin, get forgiveness of sin, get power over sin and be saved from sin. Glory to God. There is always hope, no matter how bad a situation we get in. God has a way out.

Jesus the Christ, the holy one was sent from Heaven to live among us, preach to us the gospel of the Kingdom of God and make the perfect sacrifice for our sins so that we can be free from sin. When we receive this gift of salvation from Jesus Christ and are willing to turn from sin, we not only get forgiveness of past sins but strength to resist future sins. He gives us the Holy Spirit to abide with us and give us power over sin.

We don't have to live in sin. If we do sin occasionally, don't let it stay within us, confess and forsake it at once. Desire to be free of that old stuff forever. We must not succumb to today's society of accepting ourselves the way we are and accepting sin as normal and "only human." Sin will destroy both our bodies and our souls. Get rid of it as soon as you discover it is in your life. Hate it. Despise sin and hate what it does to us. We don't have to live in sin. We can be clean.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 38:11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

This does not mean the type of lover that we think of in today's world but those who professed to be his friends. When we get in trouble, we soon find out who our real friends are. A real friend will stand by us when we get in trouble but also a real friend will not agree with our sin but reprove it. A true friend will not be quick to expose our sin to others either.

Psalm 38:12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

This is not an example of a true friend. Enemies seek after our lives, seek our hurt and imagine things against us. This is not a trait of true friendship. If we secretly desire one's downfall, that is not true friendship.

We need not ask ourselves this. If we hear a bit of juicy gossip about a brother or sister in Christ, do we grieve in spirit or do we secretly rejoice that evil has befallen someone we profess to care about. Suppose someone makes us mad and says bad about us then something bad happens to that person. Are we glad about it? Do we gloat and say, "Well, God sure gave him what he deserved?"

This should not be our attitude. We should be grieved and concerned if our brother or sister falls into sin. We should try to restore them. If bad happens to someone who was our enemy, we should pray for them and if possible help that one. Never should we assume we are in the right and they in the wrong so that our attitude is that they are being punished by God and we in turn gloat over it. No, this should never be our desire. Let restoration, repentance and salvation be our goal. This does not mean we don't have true justice on those that do crimes that harm the innocent.

We see in the Old Testament that God would send punishment upon Israel when they sinned but if the surrounding nations mocked, laughed and was glad for Israel's troubles, God would get angry and punish those nations also.

Psalm 38:13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

David became as a deaf man that didn't want to hear the mockers and those that hated him but his hope was in God.

God is our hope in our present time and in the future. We are never without hope unless we have passed from this life and entered eternity without God. As long as we are in the flesh, we have hope of salvation. Let us not give up on anyone. When is the last time we prayed for our worst enemy. Someone at work gives us a hard time. Pray for them. Someone gossiped about us, pray for them.

Here is what Jesus said about it:

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

I will confess here that I have not always done this one but oh, how happy we would be, if we did these things.

Psalm 38:16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

We can't always help what is done to us, but we have a say in what we do to someone else.

Psalm 38:17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

This is the first step to salvation and eternal life. We must confess our sins to the Lord and be sorry for them. The second step is to believe and receive God's gift of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Then we will receive the strength we need to keep from returning to the sin we have been forgiven of.

Psalm 38:19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

This also is spoken of in the word of God, that those that live right may not always be treated good.

2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

We must choose to live godly anyway. Living for Jesus Christ does bring offense from those that are of the world. The reason is that Jesus came not only to forgive sin but to free us from sin. If people are comfortable in their sin and do not want to forsake it or they do not want to see themselves as sinners, then the name of Jesus is going to offend them. The more godly you live, the more you will bring conviction upon those that are not living godly. Jesus is the light.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

This is why the name of Jesus brings offense. This is why the many atheist groups try to keep us from publicly displaying the name of Jesus. It brings light and exposes sin. They would prefer to abide in darkness. Those poor things do not know what spirit they are of and who they really represent. Why do you think, they want the ten commandments removed from our courthouses?

Those commandments have been there for years and did not harm one single person who gazed upon them. Now all the sudden they are threatened by those commandments being displayed. They do not want to be reminded of their sin. They prefer to keep on being deceived and calling evil good and good evil.

Living godly actually brings reproof to those that do not live godly. The godly don't even have to utter a word. Their lives are a testimony to the world. If we live like the world, then they will not see God in us and they will leave us alone. If you live, act and do as others that are still in their sins, then of course you will not suffer persecution for the gospel's sake because you are not openly living so that others see Jesus Christ in you.

Whether or not you are saved in that condition, I will not say but I would be very scared if I worked along side of someone for years and they did not see any difference in me than in a sinner who does not know Jesus Christ. If sinners are more honest, trustworthy and kind than the people of God, we need to examine ourselves and see where we went wrong. Let's get back to the place we should be with the Lord. As long as we are alive in this present body there is hope.

Psalm 38:21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

And truly He is our salvation and help. We are never alone and should never try to go it alone.

God helped David when he sinned and restored to the right place. In eternity we will see King David around the throne of God. Yet on the earth David repented of sin but the results of his sin brought evil upon his household. Sin will reap bad things for us even though we are forgiven and inherit eternal life.

God always forgives us when we come to Him and repent of sin, but the people we have sinned against may not forget or forgive it. The evil that is set in motion after one commits a sin may continue to bring forth its evil fruit in someone else who has not repented or turned to Christ.

Another example is that if a person drinks alcohol heavily for years and comes to Christ, he or she is saved and their bodies do start to heal and recover from the alcohol but sometimes the damage has already been done to the liver and may effect the health of the body even though the soul is revived and safe in God.

There have been instances of divine healing in some cases but in other cases the law of reaping and sowing takes effect and the body dies earlier than they would have if they did not drink. Nevertheless, the soul enters eternity free from sin and safe in Jesus Christ. There is always hope if we turn to Jesus.

As for David, he was spoken of as a man after God's own heart. You might say, "But didn't he sin and have a man put in harm's way to cover his own sin with Bathsheba?" Yes, that is true and David paid heavily for that sin but he was a man after God's heart, not because of the sin but because he grieved over his sins and desired to be free from sin. He was a man after God's heart because he desired to live for God and honor God even though he messed up along the way. Notice the when David is mentioned in the New Testament, no mention is made of any sin he did.

This is a picture of all of us. We can be people after God's own heart too by confessing our sin and coming to Jesus Christ and then desiring to obey God in all things by walking daily with Him. We do not have to be a slave to sin anymore. Jesus Christ makes us free. -DC

Psalm 39

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