FHBC Sermon Notes

This is another psalm of distress, yet it is distress not from abroad, from without, but from within. His wounds are self inflicted. But for the answer he does not look within, but looks without for salvation. He looks to his Lord, he looks to God Almighty.

What is going on in this psalm?

The psalmist is in danger, from something that ways from him. I am languishing he says. He is weak from inside and from without, from foes. It seems that the psalmist is perhaps dealing with a physical ailment. He bones are in agony, he is withered, death is imminent. V.2, v.5

But there is more than physical distress. There is spiritual distress. V. 3 At his very core he is in agony.

But why, why is he suffering so?

The psalmist sees that his pain is not random. He knows from where it comes. He is a recipient of God's wrath, he is under God's discipline. And discipline is not pleasant thing. It involves painful means. The psalmist does not indicate what his sin is against God, yet he clearly indicates that he is under discipline.

Yet he does not latch onto the suffering as the focus of his thoughts, but on the promises and grace of God. God's steadfast love for us children. While God's judgement is in fact absolute, but for his children he does not consume us. For love, in love he disciplines that we may be conformed to the image of Jesus.

What does this have to do with Christ?

When we look at the garden of Gethsemane we see a picture that sounds much like this psalm. While Jesus was not under the hand of God, the discipline of God because of his own sins, he was in fact taking on the sins of the world. Do not leave me in the grave he seems to cry. V. 8 in this psalm points to Jesus, for those that do reject him will depart.

How do we apply this to our lives?

1. God's discipline exposes our sin.

God wants us to share in his holiness, but we can not do that when we wallow in our sin. Therefore, he disciplines us to work righteousness in us. Don't go that way, he says, come back to the way of hope and of joy.

2. God's discipline conveys his love.

Hebrews 5. God disciplines those he loves. Receive hope from our chastisements. He gives those that have abandoned him over to their sin. (Romans 1) Like a child that plays in a busy street without correction, eventually they will be hit.

3. God's discipline restores us to his fellowship.

Sin breaks our fellowship with God. His discipline restores us, give us true joy, a relationship that is the most satisfying, the result of He is us, and us in Him.

Note the tenor of the end of the psalm. It is hopeful, joyful. The Lord accepts my prayers. We live in him to be satisfied in him.

Amen.