Today’s scripture: Psalm 38 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Brent Walsh):
Some days you feel so old. You may still be young, but sometimes it seems you’ve got one foot in the grave. You go to bed sore and wake up creaky. You drive to work and then sit all day. You talk about needing to exercise and improve your diet, but then go home and do none of the things you know you should do. You have some bad habits that keep you from your optimum health, and you don’t always fill your mind with the most uplifting stimulus. You can’t stay out all night anymore, and you may not be as financially independent as you thought you would be by this stage in your life. Your faith journey is on a roller coaster, your boss is constantly on your case, your kids are driving you nuts, and even your friends are starting to annoy you. How did you get here? Where is the bright-eyed, pain-free, motivated and enthusiastic person that used to put on your shoes?
This description might not fit you perfectly, but variations of this scenario are common to all of us at one point or another. In Psalm 38 we see David opening himself up to God in a display of vulnerability that you and I can certainly relate to sometimes. David was termed “a man after God’s own heart,” and yet here David feels lonely, overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, depressed, and distant from God. He’s engaging in self-blame, certain that it must have been something he did to cause himself to end up here.
If you are in this same place with David, I encourage you to recognize it as a legitimate part of our human experience and avoid blaming yourself unnecessarily. Go to God with your troubles, be honest about how you feel, and then keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Thought for the day: “In spite of everything, I shall rise again. I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.