God’s Conviction • Psalm 38:1-8,18-22
By Philip Price
When I was in first grade the first time, my father was a pastor and school bus driver. One morning, I mischievously pulled the pencil from an older girl’s leather stick barrette. She didn’t take it lightly — her thumbnail found my earlobe, and I screamed. My dad stopped the bus to investigate. I denied everything and the girl was punished. Intensely, guilt consumed me for days. Eventually, I broke down in tears at the breakfast table. When my dad asked what was wrong, I confessed to lying to him. He forgave me. Admitting I had lied was a great relief.
In Psalm 38, David discloses the emotional and physical distress he experienced due to his sin. In the final verses of the psalm, he confessed his sin and desperately cried out to God for help.
The Conviction of Sin (Psalm 38:1-4)
David begins this psalm praying, LORD, do not punish me in your anger (v. 1, CSB). He felt that God was disciplining him, and he begged Him to stop. David suffered in piercing pain as if God had shot arrows into him and God’s hand had pressed down on him (v. 2). He cried, there was no soundness in my body or health in his bones (v. 3), which means he was suffering physically and emotionally.
Why was David in distress? He attributed his torment to his wrongdoing. He owned his transgressions by referring to his actions as my sin (v. 3). His iniquities overwhelmed him and flooded over his head. The conviction of his sin caused him to feel as if he was spiritually drowning and he described the weight of guilt he felt as a burden too heavy for me to bear (v. 4).
The Greek word for convict means to expose, rebuke, or convince with evidence. Jesus promised that once he returned to heaven, he would send the Holy Spirit who would convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8 CSB). The Holy Spirit works in our lives to reveal the sin of which we must repent. This conviction, if not addressed, causes turmoil.
The Consequences of Sin: (Psalm 38:5-8)
While David acknowledged the guilt he felt, he reported the consequences of his offenses. He suffered from wounds that were foul and festering. He attributed these sores to his foolishness. He was bent over and very low. Furthermore, All day long he was in mourning (v. 6). His insides were full of burning pain and, again, he mentioned there was no soundness in his body (v. 7). The psalmist reported his sin left him faint and severely crushed. He groaned due to the anguish he had to endure (v. 8).
Scholars have debated whether David is reporting symptoms of a disease. Considering that earlier in the song, David employed figurative imagery to poetically communicate the divine conviction of God, we can assume he was not struck with literal arrows, and his wounds are metaphorical for the spiritual pain he suffered.
Times of poor health should lead us to examine our life choices and, if we discover sin in our lives, we must quickly turn to God for forgiveness There are instances in scripture in which sin is credited with causing sickness. Paul mentioned that some of the Corinthians had improperly observed the Lord’s Supper and brought judgment upon themselves, which was manifested in weakness, illness, and even death (II Cor. 11:27-30). Yet, physical ailments are not always because we have done wrong. Consequently, we cannot attribute all sickness to personal sin. However, sin can have a negative impact upon our well-being. We are free to make sinful choices, but we cannot stop the inevitable consequences of spiritual disobedience.
The Confession of Sin: (Psalm 38:18-22)
The conviction and consequences of sin led David to pray I confess my iniquity (v. 18). Similarly, when we are convicted of sin, we must repent. We can have confidence that due to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ we will be forgiven. Scripture reminds us that, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
After his confession, David recognized he needed God’s help to fight his formidable enemies who wanted to destroy him (v. 19-20). Importantly, he expressed his total dependence upon God (v. 21), and he declared that God was his Lord and salvation (v. 22). Are you convicted of sin in your life? If so, confess it to God.
Price is the Associational Missions Strategist for the Jackson County Baptist Association, Pascagoula. He is a member of Ridglea Heights Church, Moss Point.
