Psalm 38 – The worship of a penitent sinner
(Written by Kenneth Chan)
Even as King David sought to worship the LORD, he was mindful of how sin had adversely affected his relationship with God. He was keenly aware of his unworthiness to worship the LORD because the guilt of sin weighed heavily on him in verses 2 and 4. Yet, he made no excuses for his sin as he comes before the infinite majesty of the Lord. He confessed his sins and repented in v18 and trust God for salvation from awful judgment through the worship offerings of the burnt, grain, peace, sin and guilt offerings mandated of Leviticus. David worshipped the LORD remembering his sin and trusting Him to be merciful.
Similarly, we worship God through our remembrance of Christ’s finished work of salvation for sinners on the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life and died a sinner’s death to save those who believe from God’s awful judgment. He paid the penalty we deserved to pay for our sin and bore the wrath of God we deserved to bear. He overcame our separation from God due to our sin and freed us from the guilt caused by sin to worship and serve the living God.
What a wondrous salvation Christ wrought for penitent sinners! Just as David believed the reality of God’s forgiveness and salvation in verse 22, we in the New Testament similarly await eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom 8:23b)
Let’s Read Psalm 38
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
Let’s Pray
O merciful God and heavenly Father, there is nothing good in me, filled with sin and deserving only Your righteous wrath. In Your boundless grace, You sent forth Your beloved Son to be my Savior, who even though sinless, died for me, a sinner.
I can never thank You enough for your great mercy. Help me to live in praise and worship of You all the days of my life. I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.
About the Heavenly Devotion channel
The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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