Psalm 38

In this psalm, it appears that David is crying out to God over an illness—one that was apparently caused by some sin in his life (vs 5). Although I don’t know exactly what David was referring to, I must say that I can sympathize with his emotional plight. He almost sounds depressed, relating how he feels feeble (vs 8), weak (vs 10), and helpless (vs 13-14).

Have you ever felt like that? I know I have, especially when I see things in myself that I don’t like. When God points out sin in my heart, it can be monumentally distressing.

At times like that, I think the natural “human” response is to want to run and hide, to isolate yourself. I think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after eating the fruit—they didn’t even give God a chance to talk to them before they ran away and hid. They knew they had done what was wrong, and their guilt became a wall in their relationship with God.

That’s why the ending of this psalm is so important. David says, “Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and Savior.” (vs 21-22)

Even if David’s condition is the result of God’s discipline (as he suspects in verse 1), he recognizes that God is still the only hope he has of recovery. Without God, he knows he’s not going to get any better.

And, as simple as it sounds, I think that’s worth remembering today. When sin gets us down and discouraged, or when it gets us anxious and afraid, we must remember that God is for us. He’s not sitting up there waiting for us to screw up so He can come and pounce on us. He looks at us with tender compassion and longs to help us find the way out of our sin.

In fact, He is the only way out of our sin. When we are crushed under the weight of sin and guilt, He is our only hope—and He is more than able and willing to help!