Not Put Together

It's OK to not be OK.

Typically, when I imagine King David, I picture a handsome, ruddy, athletic looking man with the confidence of one who slayed Goliath. I think of his musical ability, governmental wisdom, poetic writing, military capability, and so on.

Yet, there's another David. The crushed David. The weeping David. The David overwhelmed by his sin.

Welcome to Psalm 38

"There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no 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...

I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me."

How often do we talk like this? How often do you hear your friends sharing this depth of struggle in small groups? Probably not often. But the truth is, its not uncommon for all of us to go through deep and dark periods where we feel absolutely crushed. I certainly had plenty of periods like that in college.

So is that it? It's OK to be crushed?

Well, it'd be really sad if all we did was express our pitiful state and simply wallowed there. Not only would it be sad, it would be sinful.

What does David do?

This is how Psalm 39 ends:

"Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!"

Love that.

Good night.