Psalm 38

Psalm 38

Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

1O LORD, ^(A)rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.
2For Your ^(B)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And ^(C)Your hand has pressed down on me.
3There is ^(D)no soundness in my flesh ^(E)because of Your indignation;
There is no health ^(F)in my bones because of my sin.
4For my ^(G)iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of ^(H)my folly.
6I am bent over and ^(I)greatly bowed down;
I ^(J)go mourning all day long.
7For my loins are filled with ^(K)burning,
And there is ^(L)no soundness in my flesh.
8I am ^(M)benumbed and badly crushed;
I ^(N)groan because of the agitation of my heart.
9Lord, all ^(O)my desire is before You;
And my ^(P)sighing is not hidden from You.
10My heart throbs, ^(Q)my strength fails me;
And the ^(R)light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
11My ^(S)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen ^(T)stand afar off.
12Those who ^(U)seek my life ^(V)lay snares for me;
And those who ^(W)seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
And they ^(X)devise treachery all day long.
13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a ^(Y)mute man who does not open his mouth.
14Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15For ^(Z)I hope in You, O LORD;
You ^(AA)will answer, O Lord my God.
16For I said, "May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, ^(AB)would magnify themselves against me."
17For I am ^(AC)ready to fall,
And ^(AD)my ^[a]sorrow is continually before me.
18For I ^(AE)confess my iniquity;
I am full of ^(AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19But my ^(AG)enemies are vigorous and ^[b]strong,
And many are those who ^(AH)hate me wrongfully.
20And those who ^(AI)repay evil for good,
They ^(AJ)oppose me, because I follow what is good.
21Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, ^(AK)do not be far from me!
22Make ^(AL)haste to help me,
O Lord, ^(AM)my salvation!

i dont think im suffering enough to honestly say some of the things that he petitions to the Lord. something i think im suffering that much, but really im not. im very quick to look full on myself instead of remembering the hope that i have in Christ. at the same time, alot of the things he has said i can relate with because no matter the circumstance God gives people, the soul i guess has its limits and something easy for one person, might be the life trial of another. im very weak i realized. but i think we can imply from the psalm that david feels pretty weak right now too. he honestly tells God how he feels and his suffering, and earnestly petitions to the Lord. from the last 2 verse you can tell that God is his hope, his only refuge because it is to Him that he turns and remembers. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! i can image him shouting this out, with vigor and desperation but also with confidence not in himself but in God. its interesting how he says O Lord, my salvation. once my friend told me once someone asked her if she would want to be in heaven if she had all the benefits, but God wasnt there. and thats interesting thought. do i want to be at rest, have peace, and everything like that more than i want God? he says the Lord is his salvation. and the point of heaven is to be with God, and the point of living is to know and trust God more before we're glorified. everything points to God.

the joy of the Lord is my strength.