Saturday
Do you feel like God is punishing you when you suffer from sickness or health related issues?
Well, David felt that way too. So, for today, let’s focus our attention on the 38th Psalm, written by David during a time of great distress. This psalm is considered a “lament”. A statement of grief. David is crying out to God in his misery. In the ancient times, people often thought that sickness was a punishment from God. Look at the book of Job or John 9: 2. But in reality, God is not physically punishing people because of their sins, although our sins can result in sickness and poor health. Think of the heavy smoker or drunkard or the over eater or workaholic, how do their sinful habits create sickness in their lives – I think it’s pretty obvious. Psalm 38 leads us to view sickness and suffering and death as the inevitable realities of being human with mortal bodies. Sin does cause suffering, but the suffering we is not always the result of our own sins. Think again of the drunk driver who crashes his car into another vehicle and kills are injures another person.
This Psalm invites us to connect to the psalmist and confess and repent of our sins. This Psalm also helps us to live a humble life relying on God to help us understand the consequence of sin, not just our own but those of others against us.
So in the end we see that the psalmist views God as a God of hope, a God of help – a Savior and not a God of punishment.
It is my prayer for today that you will praise God in the midst of your struggles, no matter what they might be, and to allow your “lament” be turned from crying into joy.
Singing God’s praises
Pastor Kathy
P.S. As you read psalm 42 did you sing “As the Deer”?