Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 38 – 6-8-20
I would love to be able to say that the Psalms only have worship, praise, and glory to celebrate together in the Lord. Psalms 38 reminds me that the pain and misery of sin and the punishment for sin by the Lord is something that I cannot gloss over, or simply ignore and try to forget. Sin is serious business to a holy God and He cannot allow it to go unpunished. If we believer that God will judge a sinful world, why do we think that we can sin and not suffer the consequences. The only difference is that we have a God that we can turn to for forgiveness and restoration of relationship with Him and others. But first we must deal with repentance and confession of sin for the blood of Christ to cover our sin and bring healing. This chapter is full of the confession and pain of repentance from sin.
There are many word pictures used to describe the pain of sin: arrows sunk deep in our flesh, drowning in iniquity, the pain and puss of infection, the sickness that sinks into your bones, inability to stand upright and walk, heart breaking emotional and physical pain. All these are found in the description of the affects of sin on our lives.
There is even the shunning of friends and loved ones as our sin changes how we love and relate with each other.
So how does the pain of sin change and turn around in our lives? It starts with finding hope and trust in a God of forgiveness. Psalms 38:15 For I hope in Thee, O LORD; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.(NAS) When we know that we can trust in the Lord to hear, answer, and forgive then we can confess and repent.(vs. 18) Finally, we can trust in the Lord to not leave us or forsake us as He accepts the payment of Christ’s blood as the atoning sacrifice for my sin. I can remember as a boy who was punished with spanking for my disobedience, the closer you were to the one who was spanking, the less the blow hurt. When we turn to God in confession and repentance, there is the pain of punishment and consequences, but in return there is the forgiveness that lets me know that the Lord has not forsaken me and is present with me providing help and strength to live in the power and joy of my salvation. Psalms 38:21-22, 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!(NAS)
Father, thank You for being my Loving Father, who punishes me for my sin. Where would I be if it were not for Your loving hand of discipline in my life. I need to remember the pain of sin in order to be quick to confess, repent and find Your quick and lasting forgiveness. Today I repent of my sins of disobedience and omission. Help me to walk close to You so I will be quick to turn to You for help. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob