A Psalm of Personal Depression: Psalm 38
“1) O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me not in Your burning anger. 2) For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me. 3) There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4) For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. 5) My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly. 6) I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long.
11)My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off. 12) Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long.” Psalms 38:1-6, 11-12
David went through times of loneliness, discouragement and even depression. In this Psalm he lays out his emotions during one of those times.
He felt useless, isolated and alone. It appears that he had recently gone through some kind of personal failure. No clue is given in this Psalm which occasion precipitated his sorrow and depression. Let me make a few observations.
First, Satan uses guilt and condemnation against all people. We all have shortcomings.
Second, our emotions can become our enemy. David was depressed. He was downcast. It sounds like everything was caving in on him. Even his physical health was affected.
Third, David was accustomed to journaling. Writing down his thoughts and emotions gave him better perspective. Many of the Psalms are a compilation of his personal diary. They are like letters written to God.
Finally, David was open and honest with God. He cried out to God when he was down and he sang praises to Him when he was up. He laid himself open before God.
We all go through ups and downs. I have gone through times of exuberance and times of loneliness depression in my life.
If your emotional world is falling apart, don’t isolate or degrade yourself. Reach out to God and others. No one is beyond the reach of Gods love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. Let your sorrow drive you to God and not away from Him. Jesus came to deliver hope!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“1) O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me not in Your burning anger. 2) For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me. 3) There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4) For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. 5) My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly. 6) I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long.
11)My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off. 12) Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long.” Psalms 38:1-6, 11-12
David went through times of loneliness, discouragement and even depression. In this Psalm he lays out his emotions during one of those times.
He felt useless, isolated and alone. It appears that he had recently gone through some kind of personal failure. No clue is given in this Psalm which occasion precipitated his sorrow and depression. Let me make a few observations.
First, Satan uses guilt and condemnation against all people. We all have shortcomings.
Second, our emotions can become our enemy. David was depressed. He was downcast. It sounds like everything was caving in on him. Even his physical health was affected.
Third, David was accustomed to journaling. Writing down his thoughts and emotions gave him better perspective. Many of the Psalms are a compilation of his personal diary. They are like letters written to God.
Finally, David was open and honest with God. He cried out to God when he was down and he sang praises to Him when he was up. He laid himself open before God.
We all go through ups and downs. I have gone through times of exuberance and times of loneliness depression in my life.
If your emotional world is falling apart, don’t isolate or degrade yourself. Reach out to God and others. No one is beyond the reach of Gods love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. Let your sorrow drive you to God and not away from Him. Jesus came to deliver hope!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
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