Slices
Prepare
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law’ (Galatians 5:22,23).
Bible passage
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord:
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbours stay far away.
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.
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, ‘Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.’
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Saviour.
Explore
Job could have written this psalm. It sums up his situation. Everything is wrong; he feels that God is punishing him; his critics are unsympathetic; he feels feeble and crushed and God seems absent (v 4).
We might sometimes think God leaves us periodically to our own strength. Our prayer life may not be so strong, or maybe we have been taking God for granted. The apparent absence of God’s blessings and presence may discourage us, but should we hold it against him? Could we see such trials as a blessing that builds spiritual resilience?
Jesus himself was not immune to this: he spent much time in prayer on his own, while frustrated at others’ lack of faith (eg Luke 6:12; Mark 9:17–29). Even he wondered why after three years of ministry his Father had apparently abandoned him on the cross (Matthew 27:46).
The important word is ‘apparently’. It might seem like God was/is not there, but he always is and will always pick up his faithful ones and stand them on their feet before him. Prayerful communication and trust between him and us are the key.
Respond
Take time to consider God’s place in your heart and your place in his. Where do you stand today? Jesus’ prayer time was a gateway into the precious company of his heavenly Father. It can also be yours.
Deeper Bible study
Heavenly Father, you have promised forgiveness of sins to all who repent and turn in faith to you. Pardon my sins today and open my eyes to your grace. Amen.
David is troubled by his sin (v 18). Not just the consequences in his body and his relationships, but the effect that his wrongdoing has on his walk with God. It is a sign of spiritual maturity to see beyond the ill effects of sin and to be troubled by the sin itself. Jesus recognises this in his account of the prayer of the prodigal son returning to his father: the boy says, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’.1 David also states this clearly elsewhere, when he says to God, ‘Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight’.2 We might lament the many problems that our wrong choices bring us, but this insight is the key to the ‘godly sorrow’ that brings repentance and leads to salvation.3
Like Job, David finds that his pain is not just physical. He suffers the emotional and social pain of being abandoned by those closest to him. Job’s friends turned against him and even his own wife advised him to ‘Curse God and die’.4 In David’s case, friends, companions and neighbours are all avoiding him (v 11). Loneliness and isolation are the tools of Satan. David’s prayer at the end is that God will not forsake him (vs 21,22) and he expresses faith in God as ‘my Lord and my Saviour’. Today, we have the wonderful promise that he will never leave or forsake us. ‘He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]’5 God answered David’s penitent prayer; he will answer yours.
Pray for wisdom to know who might be suffering from loneliness and the effects of isolation around you today. What can you do to help them?
1 Luke 15:21 2 Ps 51:4 3 2 Cor 7:10 4 Job 2:9 5 Heb 13:5, The Amplified Bible
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 10,11; Romans 1
Pray for Scripture Union
SU Romania give thanks for their winter camp where volunteers were able to strengthen relationships with one another and with God while enjoying nature and winter sports together. Pray for a lasting impact.
