Day 10: Psalms 38

“be not far from me, O my God”

What is the pain we experience when we commit sin?  David expresses it in Psalms 38:2: " For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me."  When we sin against God without confessing it, God, through the convicting words of the Holy Spirit, pierces our conscience and presses down on us with His hand.

David undergoes three types of pain through the piercing of God's arrows and the pressing of His hand.  The first pain is physical (Ps. 38:3, 7).  The second is emotional; he loses peace due to the weight of his burden (v. 4), experiences restlessness (v. 3), and even groans (v. 8).  Consequently, he bears wounds in his heart (v. 5) and walks in sorrow (v. 6), feeling loneliness and isolation (v. 11).  The third pain is spiritual (v. 12).  David trembles with the fear that God might forsake him or withdraw from him (v. 21).

So, what should we do when we experience such pain?  We should look to our Savior, the Lord, in silence (v. 15), confess our sins to Him, and then turn our hearts back to doing what is right (vv. 18, 20).