DO NOT REBUKE ME IN YOUR ANGER

Proclamation:

“Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath … My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear … I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin … Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good ... Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.”  Psalm 38:1, 4, 18, 20, and 22 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  It is believed that David was suffering under the weight of his sin with Bathsheba and the persecution he felt from his son Absalom and King Saul, whom he had done no wrong.  The desertion of family and friends adds to his suffering. (Psalm 38:11)  Here David expresses in detail his physical and mental suffering from his situations but states that he will hope, trust, and wait on The Lord to answer his petitions. (Psalm 38:15)  He ends this psalm by praying that The Lord will not forsake him but will come quickly to help him. (Psalm 38:21-22)

Application:

Like David, we know that we have sinned and that some of our suffering we have brought upon ourselves.  We know that we deserve God’s punishment but we want His mercy.  If He is going to punish us, then we do not want Him to do it when He is angry with us.  We cannot handle the wrath of God.  There are times when people want to harm us and we have not done any wrong to them. (Psalm 38:12 and 19)  This may be part of our punishment or it may just be a test of our faith.  Either way, all we can do is pray, confess our sins, ask to be forgiven, and wait upon The Lord.