As someone who feels drawn to God or as a new believer, you may begin to see sin in your life for the first time. There’s the joy of meeting the Lord—that joy and happiness are sweet! But there comes a time we must face the sin in our lives.
When you see it and recognize sin for the first time, you may be overwhelmed and experience deep conviction, or guilt. But remember, you’re not alone. We all experience this in the beginning and at different times throughout our faith journey. Seeing the sin in you can feel like being hit by a tidal wave, knocking the life and breath out of you.
Why Didn’t You See Sin Before Now?
As humans, we don’t like to admit bad things about ourselves. We don’t want to know what we’re capable of or that the things we’ve done have hurt others and ourselves. It’s even more tragic when we realize how this sin has hurt our Lord.
Sure, we realize that all the sins in our lives are bad, but we block them off mentally—ignoring them and avoiding taking responsibility for how we are and what we do.
So, what do we do when we experience sin in this way? Thankfully, God has provided us the Bible, which is filled with help for our journey of faith. When we are overwhelmed by sin, we can read Psalms, such as Psalm 38.
What is Psalm 38?
Psalm 38 is a penitential psalm. What does that mean? The Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary definition of penitential states, “of or relating to penitence or penance.” Their definition of penitence reads, “the quality or state of being penitent: sorry for sins or faults.” So, a penitential psalm is one where the writer feels deep guilt for their sins and faults. This is what Psalm 38 is all about.
This psalm was written by King David during a time he was overcome by heavy burden of sin and its consequences. Here, David describes his physical and emotional suffering, deep feelings of isolation, his longing for God’s mercy, and hope in God.
Some believe David wrote this psalm after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and she became pregnant. The king sent her husband, Uriah, to war, knowing he would be killed on the front lines. Before Uriah could leave, however, David had him go to spend the night with Bathsheba. In this way, the king could say the baby was Uriah’s, not his. But Uriah was too loyal to David, so he slept in the entrance of the palace and didn’t go home to his wife.
When Bathsheba heard about her husband’s death, she mourned. When her time of mourning was over, David had her come to the palace. He took her as his wife.
While David tried to hide all of this from everyone, God was fully aware of all that had transpired. He was mightily displeased. He sent Nathan with a message to David.
Nathan, the prophet, told David that the sword (violence) would never leave his house (family). This was due to David’s sin. In addition, the baby boy (born to Bathsheba) would die. All of this overcame David, as well as the other words Nathan told him.
David fasted and prayed continually, but to no avail. The baby died. After this, David got up, cleaned up, changed his clothes, and went to the house of the Lord to worship Him. When he returned to the palace, only then did David eat. He also comforted Bathsheba, and she became pregnant with another baby, Solomon. You can read this story in 2 Samuel, chapters 11 and 12.
As you read this psalm, you can feel David’s deep guilt, especially Psalm 38:4 NKJV, where he says, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” In this verse, David expresses his deep guilt and remorse. He felt convicted of his sin, which is the first step on the journey of forgiveness and spiritual growth.
Convicted of Guilt
We can experience this heavy, draining guilt near the first part of our relationship with God or later. David’s sin with Bathsheba happened later in his life, probably sometime in mid-life or after. By this time, he had walked with the Lord for many years.
When we become aware of our sins, the weight of guilt can be too much to bear. It can also be painful, as David expresses in verse 2, where he says, “For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and your hand presses me down.” The realization of sin can also take an emotional and physical toll, causing health issues. It also affects our relationship with God and others in our lives.
Like David, we can also experience restoration with God. He offers us healing and restoration when we turn to Him and confess our sins.
Expression of Hope
By verse 15, we see that David still has hope in God. He knows that God hears his prayers and pleas. At this point, the king is surrendering his will to God’s. David’s showing trust in God’s answer to his prayers, and His timing. Even if God’s answer is “No,” David will still hope in the Lord.
We, too, can have in God, like David, when we confess our sins. Confession is acknowledging and surrendering our sins to our Lord. Why is this important?
Surrendering Our Sins to God
Surrendering our sins to God is important because it allows Him to restore and redeem us. He can make our lives a living testament of His grace and mercy. Not only that, but giving our sins to God also shows Him that we admit we can’t save ourselves.
Our Father also wants us to bring everything to Him, including our sins. There are several Bible verses that provide us with examples of turning all over to God, including:
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22 NKJV
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
I Peter 5:7 NKJV
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
These verses tell us that our Lord wants us to come to Him with all of our cares. Our burdens are many and can include sin. When we confess and surrender our sins to the Lord, we’re ready to receive God’s forgiveness and help.
After confession, we may have to deal with God’s discipline, but remember, this always comes from His love. Just as a loving parent corrects their child to guide them in making better choices, God disciplines us in the same way. Through discipline, God draws us closer to Him and helps us grow spiritually.
Understanding that His discipline comes from His love can help us view our struggles in a different way. Rather than viewing them as punishment, we can see them as opportunities for growth and transformation. Remember, God’s purpose is not to bring harm to us, but to guide us back to Him and restore our relationship with Him.
While we may have to wait for a while before that help arrive, it will come. And if His answer is “No,” don’t despair. God brings good even from bad situations as long as we are faithful and obedient to Him.
For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
Proverbs 6:23 NKJV
Did David Experience Restoration with God?
David received restoration with God. He also blessed David and Bathsheba with another baby, who would become the great King Solomon.
However, the predictions of violence with King David’s family did happen later. He had to deal with the consequences of his sin.
We must also deal with the consequences of our sins. Though the Lord forgives us, part of His discipline may include the consequences of our actions. These can be pretty hard to go through; however, God promises to be with us even in those hard times.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple…
Psalm 19:7 NKJV
Conclusion: Embracing God’s Mercy in Our Struggles
Psalm 38 offers a powerful reminder of the complexities of our human existence. These complexities can include the deep joy and love we receive from God through Christ. However, they can also include the deep trenches of sin and all it brings.
In this psalm, we read David’s heartfelt cry before God. He reaches out our Lord with his whole being (body, mind, and spirit). David suffered greatly for his sins and didn’t want to acknowledge them to God. Even so, this is a wonderful example of how we, too, can reach out to God and confess our sins to him. Expressing our deepest pain and need for healing can bring about a restoration of relationship with our Father.
Moreover, understanding that God’s loving correction comes from His love allows us to experience His grace and mercy to the fullest. We can trust that He works in our lives, teaching, guiding, renewing, and drawing us into a deeper relationship with Him.
As you meditate on Psalm 38, consider how you can respond to God’s discipline with openness and a desire to learn. Know that you’re not alone on your faith journey. God is with you, bringing His forgiveness, healing, and unwavering love. And your fellow believers who also experience sin and must confess that we all experience these periods in our lives, and we’re on the journey with you.
I pray that you’ll find comfort in our Lord’s presence and strength in His promises as you travel along the path of faith.
God bless,
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