Sorrows of Sin
(Psalm 4; 12; 20; 25; 32; 38)
Repentance
Artist Unknown
King David of Israel has been called “a man after God’s own heart.” (See 1 Samuel 13:14.) Even so, we have already learned about the fallibility of this chosen leader, who composed many of the Psalms we have been reading in recent weeks.
Today’s Bible passages include many agonizing verses, in which David bemoaned his own sin and suffered under the weight of his guilty conscience. Several passages clearly display the pain he felt. Perhaps we may identify with some of David’s sorrow, if we are willing to look closely at our own thoughts, words and actions.
“Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.”
“When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
Day and night
Your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated
like water in the summer heat.”
“When you are angry, Lord,
please don't punish me
or even correct me.
You shot me with Your arrows,
and You struck me with Your hand.
My body hurts all over
because of Your anger.”
“Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.”
Sin Hurts!
Despite the early attraction of temptation, the end result of sin is always destructive. Somehow, sin always costs us. Often, it also costs those we love as well.
Don’t we all have inner battles? Imagine the worst possible sibling rivalry, as two children wrestle for power and superiority. No one really wins, but a long-lasting rift may leave scars for years. Isn’t sin the same way? Does it not tear us up within and without?
A Recipe for Repentance
David suffered sorely for his sin. His greatest hurt came from within, as he mourned the fact that he had disappointed the Lord he loved. Perhaps true repentance is not possible without this process of pain. How can any of us turn away from sin, unless we have faced the suffering of sin’s separation from our great and gracious God?
Do we feel the same way about our own sin? How I pray that God would soften my own heart daily, so that I might love what God loves and hate what God hates.
Not long ago, Hillsong Music released a worship song, titled “Hosanna.” The lyrics include this penetrating line: “Break my heart with what breaks Yours.”
.
.
May God grant it so. May He liken our hearts to His own, in His time.
When we ponder the pain of the weight of sin, can we not consider how our loving Lord must have felt, as He carried the guilt and shame of all of us? What love. What passion. What mercy. What a Savior.
Will you pray with me?
Gracious God,
How You love us
Beyond what we can comprehend.
Melt our hearts,
So that we may sense Your tugging
When temptation tries to tear us away.
Give us a greater passion
For You,
Drowning out the draw
Of all lesser things.
Teach us to love
What You love
And to loathe
What You loathe.
For You love the sinner
And hate the sin.
Fill us today
With Your Holy Spirit,
So we may glorify You.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment