READING: 2 Samuel 19-21, Psalms 5, 38, 42
“. . . my iniquities have flooded over my head.”
Psalm 38:4
It’s not worth it.
“It” is sin, and it’s just not worth what it costs.
That’s what the psalmist tells us in Psalm 38. Listen to his description of the results of sin, and sense his anguish: “there is no healthin my bonesbecause of my sin.For my iniquities have flooded over my head;they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.My wounds are foul and festeringbecause of my foolishness.I am bent over and brought very low;all day long I go around in mourning.For my insides are full of burning pain,and there is no soundness in my body.I am faint and severely crushed;I groan because of the anguish of my heart” (Psa. 38:3-8).
I doubt I need to say more than what the psalmist said. God’s judgment is upon him. His heart hurts. His body aches. Sin has crushed him and bent him low. His transgressions overwhelm him. He can only groan, and even his friends and family keep their distance from him: “My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction, and my relatives stand at a distance” (Psa. 38:11). No one else will stand with him, but his sin remains ever before him. Surely it’s not worth it.
The only logical step for us to take is to turn to God, confess our sin, and cling to Him for forgiveness. That’s worth it.
ACTION STEPS:
- Think seriously about the consequences of sin when temptation comes today.
- Spend significant time in confession today. Enjoy His forgiveness.
PRAYER: “Father, I pray the prayer of the psalmist: ‘Lord, do not abandon me; my God, do not be far from me. Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation.’”
TOMORROW'S READING: 2 Samuel 22-23, Psalms 57
