Psalm 38 - I Have Sinned.

Psalm 38 - What it Means To Me.

This is a prayer confessing sin and asking for God's forgiveness. All of us have felt guilty for things we have done and God will hear our prayer and forgive as he forgave David for adultery and murder.

Your arrows have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

My guilt has overwhelmed me

like a burden too heavy to bear.  Verses 2-4

The Treasury of David

"For thine arrows stick fat in me." By this he means both bodily and spiritual griefs, but we may suppose, especially the latter, for these are most piercing and stick the fastest. God's law applied by the Spirit to the conviction of the soul of sin, wounds deeply and rankles long; it is an arrow not lightly to be brushed out by careless mirthfulness, or to be extracted by the flattering hand of self-righteousness. The Lord knows how to shoot so that his bolts not only strike but stick. He can make convictions sink into the innermost spirit like arrows driven in up to the head. It seems strange that the Lord should shoot at his own beloved ones, but in truth he shoots at their sins rather than them, and those who feel his sin-killing shafts in this life, shall not be slain with his hot thunderbolts in the next world. "And your hand presses me sore." The Lord had come to close dealing with him, and pressed him down with the weight of his hand, so that he had no rest or strength left. By these two expressions we are taught that conviction of sin is a piercing and a pressing thing, sharp and sore, smarting and crushing.

For I am about to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.  Verses 17, 18

Lord, do not forsake me;

do not be far from me, my God.

Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my Savior. Verses 21,22

The Treasury of David

"Forsake me not, O Lord." Now is the time I need you most. When sickness, slander, and sin, all beset a saint, he requires the especial aid of heaven, and he shall have it too. He is afraid of nothing while God is with him, and God is with him evermore.

How Important is Sin?

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body be thrown into hell." Matt. 5:29-30

Strong words.

I've never thought that Jesus was literally tell us to maim our body in order not to sin. I've never really known what he meant by these dire warnings. So, I read the commentary and this is what it said.

And if thy right hand offend thee,.... Or "cause thee to offend"; that is, is the means of ensnaring thine heart; and of drawing thee into either mental, or actual adultery; for, as before, all unchaste looks, so here, all unchaste touches, embraces, &c. are condemned. As adultery may be committed in the heart, and by the eye, so with the hand:


Pluck it out ... - It cannot be supposed that Christ intended this to be taken literally. His design was to teach that the dearest objects, if they cause us to sin, are to be abandoned; that by all sacrifices and self-denials we must overcome the evil propensities of our nature, and resist our wanton imaginations.
 http://bible.cc/matthew/5-29.htm


Okay, that was the commentary and now I am writing my opinion.


In the verses before and immediately after this Jesus is speaking mainly about adultery. Therefore we can conclude this is about adultery also. If you are looking lustfully, if you are touching lustfully, you must do something about it for lust and adultery leads to hell. (it also caused hell on earth between people)


I can remember a pastor of my church who was always hugging the women. I let him hug me a few times but noticed it seemed too long and too tight. It turned out later his wife left him because of his addiction to pornography. I once had a dentist who went to my church. When I went to get my teeth done (I was in my twenties) he would sometimes rest his arms on my breasts. I was young, I thought he must have to do that. A few years later he asked me to have an affair with him. After I went to other dentists I realized he was touching me inappropriately. 


So, first with your eyes - look away if you are tempted. Run like crazy and pray.


With your hands- keep them to yourselves. 


Sometimes, years ago when I went to social gatherings,  I have sat next to a man and if we all started laughing I would touch him to push him or give him a little slap in jest. I shouldn't have done that as he might have taken it the wrong way.


Whew! A big subject and a touchy one! But one thing about God - He will talk about everything. I like that about Him.

Adultery.

Jesus said, "You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say to you everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

I think it would be best for me to talk about my own struggle with lust. I rarely have had trouble with lusting after a man, but there have been a few times. When I watched the James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, I did feel lust towards him and it surprised me. I told my daughter, "I can't watch that movie again." She asked why and I told her, "That Daniel Craig turns me on!" So, for myself if I see anyone or thing that triggers lust in my heart I want to turn away and not look at it.

I worked with a man once who liked me and wanted to have an affair. My marriage was unhappy at the time. I was tempted but felt I couldn't quit my job. So, I prayed a lot about this and he was moved to a different area of the workplace. Also, God did take away the feelings I had for him. Still, now that I look back I believe I should have quit my job and trusted God would give me another one. It would have been a quicker and better way.

I do feel sorry for men because I think they have a much harder time with lust than most women. But I know God's grace is sufficient for everything and He can give us all strength of mind and purpose.

Disappointment.

I recently learned a certain pastor and author of Christian books has been having affairs with women. I learned a lot from this man's sermons and books. He helped me to understand and love God more.

I know this happens in churches everywhere in every denomination. What I don't understand is why the men and women who do these things stay in their position, hiding what they are doing - sometimes for many years. Aren't they afraid of what God would think of them preaching while they are having sex with married or vulnerable women? Have they no fear of God's wrath at all?

Well, it isn't my place to judge or condemn them. I just wonder what they are thinking! I don't expect perfection in people, even ministers. We are all human. I hope they ask forgiveness and let God change their lives. But I will say, the whole thing is a puzzle to me. Not the adultery, just the fact they keep on preaching.