The Shame and Trouble of Sin

Day 70: Psalms 31:9-13

            Psalm 31:9-13 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! 10For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. 11I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. 12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. 13For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life.

            Lord God, You know my frame. You remember that I am but dust. Though I trust in You, still there are times when I tremble, when I wonder what will happen next and how You will see me through my trials. I know that You are God indeed and You can deliver all.

            Do have mercy upon me. Do not let the evil one triumph over me in life or in death. Overcome the evil one and all his schemes and devices whether from without or from within. O Lord, the struggles of temptation weigh heavy upon us.

We fail in sins of omission, not loving You or seeking You like we should. We do not love one another as Christ has loved us. We are not strong in faith and quick to repent and seek Your face. Father, forgive us. We fail in sins of omission. We love this world too much. We work and labor for comforts here far more than we work for heavenly comforts. Father, forgive us.

            We grieve because of our sins. We hunger and thirst for Your righteousness to be fulfilled in us. Our strength fails because of our iniquity. If life were based on what we had done, or left undone, we would have failed miserably. Indeed, the consequences of our sins still weigh heavily upon us. Our bones waste away because of our sin and weariness. We are so weak. Many people see our reproaches and avoid us.

            Jesus was a reproach to His enemies. But for Him it was not because of any sin He had done. He did no sin. His reproach was for our sake. Jesus took our sins upon Him. The eternal Son of God, who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He bore the reproach for our sin.

            Our own sin would have destroyed us if not for the forgiveness and the mercy of Christ who has even delivered murderers, adulterers, thieves, and liars who have repented of their sin. Though we were guilty, afraid, and ashamed, Jesus has delivered us from our guilt, our fear, and our shame. We will trust in Him and rejoice in Him alone. 

            My enemies think so little of me, even my neighbors do not respect me, but turn aside. Like Job it feels there are none to help, only those who find fault, attack, and trouble my soul. Those who see me in my need flee from me like a man flees from a beggar. There seems to be none to help. Like Elijah, there are times when I feel alone in the battle against sin. Any good that I have done has been forgotten and I am out of mind and forgotten like a man long dead. I am broken and weary, weak and sore from their repeated attacks. I get hints of their slander and words that they whisper about me.

            I am afraid because of their plotting and scheming. What will become of me? How and when will they attack me and work out their conspiracy? They seek to discredit me, to attack and if possible, to even destroy me.

            My only hope is in You, Lord Jesus. I seek You and trust You to help. Amen!