Turn to God and Intercede Together for the Persecuted

Turn to God
Psalm 38:1-22

 Scripture (NIV)

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 neighbors 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 Savior.

 Reflection

The Pain of Sin (38:1–22)
David pours out his heart in lament over his woeful condition. He feels as though God has pierced him with arrows, leaving him wounded, abandoned, and fully exposed to the taunts and threats of his enemies. Interestingly, he finds himself in this anguished state not because of the sinister forces of evil that surround him but because of the sin that resides within. He is tormented by guilt and is desperate for God’s forgiveness and salvation. How different David’s attitude is, compared with what we see in ourselves and our world today! We have become desensitized to our wrongdoings, often making excuses or even boasting about our sinful acts in order to gain the admiration and approval of the world. May the Holy Spirit convict us afresh and break our hearts over our sin so that we might repent and cry out to God for deliverance.

When was the last time you felt anguish over your sin? How can you express your desperate need for God today?

 Prayer

Intercede Together

The Persecuted
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been embroiled in conflict since 2013. Although three-quarters of the population are Christian, they are still at high risk of persecution. Churches have been destroyed and thousands of Christians have been displaced. Persecution is most severe in the northern and eastern parts of the CAR where Islamic militant groups operate. Pray that God would bring peace and stability to the CAR and protect believers from violence.

READ: Searching for the Answer, living a lifestyle of repentance that pleases God

Mahra in Kuwait
The Mahra are a small Arab group who mostly live in Saudia Arabia, with a small number living in Kuwait. They speak an Arabic dialect called Mahri or Harsusi. They are an endogamous tribe, which means that they only marry within a small social circle. There are very few believers among the Mahra in Kuwait, as Islam is the country’s official religion. Pray that God would create opportunities for the Mahra to hear about the love of Christ.