Psalm 38 - The Contemplative Bible Meditation Series

In the pages of ancient scripture,

We find solace and resonance that transcends time and space.

Psalm 38,

A poignant cry from the depths of human suffering,

Speaks to the heart of every soul navigating the complexities of life.

As we delve into its verses,

We discover not only a reflection of our own struggles,

But also a beacon of hope guiding us through the darkest of nights.

Psalm 38,

O Lord,

Do not rebuke me in your wrath,

Nor chasten me in your hot displeasure.

For your arrows pierce me deeply,

And your hand presses me down.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger,

Nor any health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head.

Like a heavy burden,

They are too heavy for me.

My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.

I am troubled,

I am bowed down greatly.

I go moaning all the day long.

For my loins are full of inflammation,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am feeble and severely broken.

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

Lord,

All my desire is before you,

And my sighing is not hidden from you.

My hard pants,

My strength fails me.

As for the light of my eyes,

It also has gone from me.

My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,

And my relatives stand afar off.

Those who also seek my life lay snares for me.

Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction and plan deception all the day long.

But I,

Like a deaf man,

Do not hear,

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

Thus I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth there is no response.

For in you,

O Lord,

I hope,

You will hear,

O Lord my God.

For I said,

Hear me,

Lest they rejoice over me,

Lest,

When my foot slips,

They exalt themselves against me.

For I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me.

For I declare my iniquity,

I will be in anguish over my sin.

But my enemies are vigorous,

And they are strong,

And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

Those also who render evil for good,

They are my adversities,

Because I follow what is good.

Do not forsake me,

O God.

O my God,

Be not far from me.

Make haste to help me.

O God,

My salvation.

Verse 1 In your wrath,

Do not rebuke me,

O Lord,

Or discipline me in your anger.

This opening plea sets the tone for our meditation.

We acknowledge our vulnerability before the divine,

Recognizing that our human failings may provoke righteous anger.

Yet,

Even in our imperfection,

We dare to approach with humility,

Seeking mercy rather than judgment.

In our own lives,

We may have experienced moments of turmoil where we felt the weight of divine displeasure.

But here,

We find solace in the belief that our cries for mercy are heard and answered with compassion.

Verse 2 For your arrows have pierced me,

And your hand has come down on me.

The imagery of arrows piercing deeply and a heavy hand pressing down speaks to the profound impact of our actions and the consequences we face.

We reflect on times when our choices have led to pain and suffering,

Both for ourselves and others.

Yet,

In the midst of our brokenness,

We find courage in acknowledging our mistakes and seeking forgiveness.

This verse reminds us that even in our darkest moments,

There is hope for healing and redemption.

Verse 3 and 4 Because of your wrath,

There is no health in my body.

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

For my iniquities have overwhelmed me.

They are like a burden too heavy to bear.

Here we confront the physical and emotional toll of sin.

We acknowledge the ways in which our transgressions have wounded us and others,

Leaving us feeling broken and burdened.

In our own lives,

We may carry the weight of past mistakes,

Feeling overwhelmed by guilt and shame.

Yet,

Acknowledging this,

We find the courage to lay our burdens down before the Divine,

Trusting in the promise of forgiveness and restoration.

Verse 5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

As we reflect on this verse,

We confront the reality of our own folly and the consequences it brings.

We bring to mind the ways in which our actions can lead to pain and suffering.

But in the midst of our brokenness,

We are comforted in the knowledge that we are not defined by our mistakes.

Instead,

We are invited to trust to the Divine for healing and renewal,

To trust in the promise of grace and redemption.

Verse 6 I am bowed down and brought very low.

All day long I go about moaning.

This verse captures the heaviness of the heart that accompanies our struggles.

At times we may feel weighed down by sorrow and by grief,

Unable to see a way forward.

But we need to remind ourselves that we are not alone.

We are never alone.

The Divine Presence is always surrounding us,

Offering comfort and strength to sustain us through all our trials.

As we journey through life's valleys,

May we find solace in the assurance that we are held in the embrace of Divine Love.

Verse 7 and 8 My back is filled with searing pain.

There is no health in my body.

I am feeble and utterly crushed.

I groan in anguish of heart.

Here we confront the physical manifestations of our suffering.

We may experience illness or pain that weighs heavily upon us,

Leaving us feeling drained and weary.

But we need to remind ourselves that in the midst of our afflictions,

Our bodies are temples of the Divine,

Worthy of care and compassion.

And as we offer our bodies as living sacrifices,

May we find strength and healing in the presence of the One that created us.

Verse 9 All my longings lie open before You,

Lord.

My sighing is not hidden from You.

In this verse,

We are reminded of the intimacy of our relationship with the Divine.

We may feel vulnerable and exposed,

Laying bare our deepest longings and desires.

Yet,

Even in our vulnerability,

We are met with compassion and understanding.

As we pour out our hearts before the One who hears our prayers,

We find strength and courage to face whatever lies ahead.

Verse 10 My heart pounds.

My strength fails me.

Even the light has gone from my eyes.

Here we confront the depths of our despair.

At times we feel overwhelmed by the trials and tribulations of life,

By the challenges that come our way.

And we are unable to find relief from the burdens we carry.

But we need to always remind ourselves that the Divine Presence surrounds us and is always available to comfort us,

To soothe our troubled hearts.

Let us not hesitate to pour out our lamentations before the One who hears our cries.

And may we find peace in the midst of our struggles.

Verse 11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds.

My neighbours stay far away.

Here we confront the pain of rejection and isolation.

We may at times feel abandoned by those we once trusted.

We may feel that we were left to navigate life's struggles alone.

But we are reminded that we need to reach out in faith to the One who walks besides us.

And in that faith we find hope and healing in the midst of our isolation.

Verse 12 Those who want to kill me set their traps.

Those who would harm me talk of my ruin.

All day long they scheme and lie.

Persecution and opposition.

These are the realities we face in our day-to-day life.

We face adversaries who seek to undermine us,

Who seek to bring about our downfall.

But even in the face of opposition we are reminded that we are not powerless.

Our power,

Our strength,

Our courage,

Our resilience comes from the One who is always around us,

Who is always supporting us,

Who is always there for us.

Verse 13 and 14 I am like the deaf who cannot hear,

Like the mute who cannot speak.

I have become like one who does not hear,

Whose mouth can offer no reply.

In this verse we confront the limitations of our own understanding.

We may feel unable to comprehend the mysteries of life.

Sometimes we feel like we are left to wrestle with unanswered questions and doubts.

But let us open our hearts to the One who knows us intimately.

And as we open our hearts,

May we find clarity and peace in the midst of the uncertainties of life.

Verse 15 Lord,

I wait for you.

You will answer,

Lord my God.

In this verse we express our trust in the Divine.

We express our trust in the Divine Presence that surrounds us.

We wait in faith for the One who answers our prayers.

And as we wait in this faith,

May we find strength and courage to face whatever challenges may come our way.

Verse 16 and 17 For I said,

Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.

For I am about to fall and my pain is ever with me.

Here we express our vulnerability before the Divine.

And we ask to be protected.

To be protected from the persecution of others.

To be protected from the gloating of others.

To be protected from the exaltation of others when we slip in what we are doing.

We ask the Divine Presence to give us the strength to face whatever challenges come our way.

For we know that at times when we fall,

The pain surrounds us.

And we ask that this pain simply be lifted.

Verse 18 I confess my iniquity.

I am troubled by my sin.

Here we express our remorse for our mistakes.

We may feel burdened by guilt and shame,

Unable to forgive ourselves for things we have done in the past.

But in our brokenness,

We know that the Divine is always available for us,

Always ready to forgive us.

As we lay our sins before the One who knows us intimately,

More intimately than we know ourselves.

May we find peace and restoration in His boundless love.

Verse 19 Many have become my enemies without cause.

Those who hate me without reason are numerous.

In this verse,

Once again we are confronted with the reality of persecution and opposition.

There may be many who seek to undermine us,

Who seek to put us down,

Who seek to oppose the things that we do.

Yet,

Even in the face of opposition,

We are reminded that we are not alone.

The Divine Presence always surrounds us,

Offering strength and protection to shield us from harm.

And in this,

We find courage and resilience to overcome whatever challenges may come our way.

Verse 20 Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me,

Though I seek only to do what is good.

Here we express our frustration with injustice.

Sometimes we may feel betrayed by those we once trusted.

We may feel that we were left to navigate life's struggles alone.

We feel that in spite of us being good and doing good to others,

Sometimes they do not repay our good with good.

But we find hope and healing when we go to the One Presence that is always around us,

Surrounding us with comfort and companionship.

Verse 21-22 Lord,

Do not forsake me,

Do not be far from me,

My God.

Come quickly to help me,

My Lord and my Saviour.

In the concluding verse of this psalm,

We express our dependence and trust in the Divine.

We may feel overwhelmed by the challenges of life,

Unsure of our ability to overcome them.

Yet,

We know that in our weakness we are not alone.

The Divine Presence surrounds us,

Offering comfort and assurance to sustain us through life's trials.

And as we lean on the One who never fails us,

May we find strength and courage to face whatever lies ahead.

Let us take a moment to reflect on these verses and the wisdom they offer us.

May we find comfort in the knowledge that we are never alone,

That our struggles are met with compassion and understanding.

And may we carry with us the assurance that no matter what challenges lie ahead,

We are held in the palm of Divine love,

Now and forever.

Amen.