A Devotional Thought From Psalm 38:12-22
Psalm 38:12–22
12They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And imagine deceits all the day long. 13But I, as a deaf man, heard not; And I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 14Thus I was as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs. 15For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. 16For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. 17For I am ready to halt, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. 19But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. 20They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; Because I follow the thing that good is. 21Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. 22Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
This fella I know was getting out of his truck on a very cold day. There had been some light winter weather but thankfully not enough to prevent travel. As the man walked toward his destination, he stepped on a patch of ice that could not be seen. That fella began a dance that would have put Michael Jackson to shame. He was moon walking, electric sliding, jitterbugging until finally falling. Everyone around pointed and laughed. He got up, smiled with a serious blush and then walked away as the giggles kept going. His walk after the fall was very much different than before because now, he was ready for falling. In a self-deprecating act for those still watching, he put his hands over his head and twirled on the ice like he was Nancy Kerrigan or Michelle Kwan. Ok I must confess, that guy was me. I’m the dude who busted his backside. I embarrassed myself and then played it off like a big idiot. It was me!
My point is that I was aware of my slippery surroundings. I knew about the strong possibility that I could fall again so being prepared for a fall helped me avoid one in the future.
In this Psalm, David spends a lot of time acknowledging and confessing sin. He has fallen and those around him have seen and are using his failure as an opportunity against him.
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long. Psalm 38:12
David’s response is admirable. They mock and plot against him, but he is silent.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; And I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs. Psalm 38:13-14
It takes a lot of self-control to stay silent and not try to defend yourself doesn’t it? David reminds me of my Lord in this situation. The Bible says about Jesus
Isaiah 53:7 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.
How could David be so silent? I think for one he knew that he had fallen and had brought some of this ridicule upon himself, but I also see that he had placed his trust in his Lord to defend him and help.
For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
Why do people mock when others fall? Why are people so prone to point out the misfortune of their peers? I believe David shows us in verse 16.
For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. Psalm 38:16
People point at the falls of others to make themselves seem bigger. They magnify themselves by minimizing another. This attempt self-magnification always ends in failure and reveals smallness of character.
Then David says it, the statement that sparked the memory that began this blog.
17 For I am ready to halt, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. Psalm 38:17-18
“I am ready to Halt”
In other words, “I am ready to fall”. David acknowledges awareness of his sin and his proneness to follow it. “ I know that I am prone to fall and am ready for it”
There is nothing that will set you up for sin more than overconfidence and nothing that will help you walk better than understanding your sin nature. Falling can be a good thing. It can help you know yourself and cause you to trust in the Lord. If you have fallen like David, please know that you don’t have to stay down. Recognize your sin (vs. 17), be contrite and confess it to him (vs. 18), and then trust him to forgive like he promised he would. (Vs. 21-22)
It will change the way you walk when you are ready for falling, believe me, I know!
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