February 23, 2009

PAIN IS GOOD IF IT DRIVES US TO THE SAVIOR

Psalm 38

Stacy Long
Monday's Devo

February 23, 2009

Monday's Devo

February 23, 2009

Central Truth

God loves us enough to let us feel the weight, pain, and fear that results from our sin. He does not desire for us to stay in our sorrow or run away from Him, but rather to confess our guilt and cry out for His mercy, which He freely offers.

Key Verse | Psalm 38:18

Yes, I confess my wrongdoing, and I am concerned about my sins. (Psalm 38:18)

Psalm 38

Do Not Forsake Me, O LORD

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath!
For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all the day I go about mourning.
For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
10  My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11  My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
    and my nearest kin stand far off.

12  Those who seek my life lay their snares;
    those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
    and meditate treachery all day long.

13  But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
    like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14  I have become like a man who does not hear,
    and in whose mouth are no rebukes.

15  But for you, O LORD, do I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16  For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
    who boast against me when my foot slips!”

17  For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
18  I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin.
19  But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20  Those who render me evil for good
    accuse me because I follow after 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!

Dive Deeper | Psalm 38

When I was in the sixth grade, my mom volunteered as a teacher's assistant. Later in the year, I cheated on a quiz, and I was just sure she was going to find out. I changed my quiz from a lousy 50% to a much better 90% and turned it in without anyone noticing. Call me a goody two shoes, but for days I couldn't eat or sleep. I just knew that my parents had the inside scoop and were going to find out, and the fear ate away at me for days. Still, I was too afraid to tell them. The longer I waited, the more terrible I felt, even to the point of sickness. I was so filled with anxiety that I finally ran to my parents crying my eyes out and confessed the whole thing. They quickly forgave me . . . then probably went to bed laughing at my over-dramatization!

Perhaps you also are a perfectionist. Like David, I can very quickly be hard on myself, complain about every single thing that's going wrong in my life, and wallow in it for awhile. That's why I love to read psalms like this one, because David is always honest with God about how he's feeling. Then, just when I think he's going to give up, David runs to God and finds forgiveness, love, and a closer relationship with His God.

Chances are your sins today seem greater than cheating on a 10-point test. Mine do, too. David was an adulterer, murderer, and terrible father, but God removed his sin, and declared him to be a man after His own heart. David didn't escape the pain that his sin caused, but he was able to get through it because he knew that God loved and forgave him in spite of it all. Forgiveness is made possible through Christ's death on the cross. But we must confess our sins to restore our relationship with God so that He can lead us. He loves us enough to discipline us and drive us back to Him. For that, I'm grateful.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you relate to any part of the pain, fear, and frustration described in this psalm? 
2. Are there sins (big or small) that you have not yet confessed and that are weighing on you today?
3. Who are you sharing life with or living with in community that you need to open up to about this sin?
4. Why not write your own psalm today to share with God how you are truly feeling? Whether you're hurt because of the weight of your sin or the sin of someone else, or you're thankful for a season of joy and freedom in your life, God wants you to run to Him and tell Him honestly just exactly how you're feeling.