The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 38:3-4,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"... there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear."
In this psalm David cries out to the Lord in his anguish because of his sin. He makes other comments in this psalm, "I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart." Verse 8. "For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." Verses 17-18.
David looked to the Lord for relief from the inner turmoil he experienced from his sin. He closes this psalm with the following words, "Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior." Verses 21-22.
Although David lived a millennium before the Holy Spirit began to be given freely to all who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ (following the Pentecost event in Acts 2), he nevertheless was indwelt with the Holy Spirit as one of the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament. David refers to the indwelling Holy Spirit in Psalm 51:11.
Paul speaks of the inner conflict between our sinful natures and the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers since Pentecost. "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." Galatians 5:17.
While believers will never be free from that sinful nature in this life, succumbing to its promptings can have devastating consequences for us. I have known of those who have even suffered mentally as well as emotionally because of poor decisions in regard to a past sin. David certainly exhibits that kind of consequence in his own life as he calls out to God in desperation.
The good news is that although we retain that old nature when we are born again, we are now no longer enslaved to it. Paul says of believers, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:18. While we struggle with the enticement of our sinful natures, the Lord promises us a way out, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13.
For any of us who may have found ourselves in David's plight following some sin we have slipped into, we need to recognize that all sin has already been paid for by Jesus Christ on that cross. And, while we recognize that it was sin that prompted him to die on that miserable cross, we need to embrace the love of our Lord, get up, dust ourselves off and and recognize the truth that the Apostle John spoke of, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." 1 John 2:1.
We all may fail from time to time, disappoint ourselves and the Lord and possibly others. When that occurs, we need to be mindful that the last thing we need to be is stuck in the morass of failure and find ourselves unproductive and useless to the Lord as he pursues the building of his kingdom today.
Ask the Lord's forgiveness, and the forgiveness of any others as necessary, slip back into the harness of the gospel effort and get back to pulling our fair share of the load. We don't need victims here, we need healthy and equipped workers!
In this psalm David cries out to the Lord in his anguish because of his sin. He makes other comments in this psalm, "I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart." Verse 8. "For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." Verses 17-18.
David looked to the Lord for relief from the inner turmoil he experienced from his sin. He closes this psalm with the following words, "Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior." Verses 21-22.
Although David lived a millennium before the Holy Spirit began to be given freely to all who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ (following the Pentecost event in Acts 2), he nevertheless was indwelt with the Holy Spirit as one of the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament. David refers to the indwelling Holy Spirit in Psalm 51:11.
Paul speaks of the inner conflict between our sinful natures and the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers since Pentecost. "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." Galatians 5:17.
While believers will never be free from that sinful nature in this life, succumbing to its promptings can have devastating consequences for us. I have known of those who have even suffered mentally as well as emotionally because of poor decisions in regard to a past sin. David certainly exhibits that kind of consequence in his own life as he calls out to God in desperation.
The good news is that although we retain that old nature when we are born again, we are now no longer enslaved to it. Paul says of believers, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:18. While we struggle with the enticement of our sinful natures, the Lord promises us a way out, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13.
For any of us who may have found ourselves in David's plight following some sin we have slipped into, we need to recognize that all sin has already been paid for by Jesus Christ on that cross. And, while we recognize that it was sin that prompted him to die on that miserable cross, we need to embrace the love of our Lord, get up, dust ourselves off and and recognize the truth that the Apostle John spoke of, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." 1 John 2:1.
We all may fail from time to time, disappoint ourselves and the Lord and possibly others. When that occurs, we need to be mindful that the last thing we need to be is stuck in the morass of failure and find ourselves unproductive and useless to the Lord as he pursues the building of his kingdom today.
Ask the Lord's forgiveness, and the forgiveness of any others as necessary, slip back into the harness of the gospel effort and get back to pulling our fair share of the load. We don't need victims here, we need healthy and equipped workers!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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