Psalm 38: Do Not Forsake Me!

David felt his suffering was the direct result of his sin, and his anguish was made even worse because those who should have been his friends had deserted him in his hour of need. “God does not work a miracle to preserve men from suffering the consequences of violating nature’s laws. . . . If men were shielded from the disastrous results of their wrongdoing, sinners would become greatly emboldened in their iniquity.

“However, not all suffering is the direct result of personal sin on the part of the sufferer. Many of the ancients regarded every affliction as the penalty of some wrongdoing either in the sufferer or in his parents (see John 9:2). Conversely they judged the degree of man’s guilt by the amount of suffering. ‘Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God,—as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin.’. . . Because of this misconception they regarded the heavenly Father as a stern and exacting executor of justice. “Many Christians are under the same misapprehension. In spite of the lessons of the book of Job, and the lessons taught by Jesus (see Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38; . . .), these Christians look at God as the one who brings disease. “Here is the true philosophy of suffering: ‘Suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy.’. . . The reason God does not always shield His children from disease and suffering is that if He did, Satan would bring the same charges against God as he did in the case of Job, that God was unfairly placing a hedge about His servant (Job 1:10). God must allow Satan the opportunity to afflict the righteous, so that all charges of unfairness will ultimately be shown to be groundless.” David knew that God was aware of his suffering (Psalm 38:9). He asked for forgiveness and healing.

God looks upon the heart of the supplicant and answers according to the devotion found there. “Come, every soul by sin oppressed, / There’s mercy with the Lord, / And He will surely give you rest, / By trusting in His word.”