Gospel Reflections #1112: Even amidst suffering

Psalm 38:21, 22 ‘Do not cast me off, O Lord; do not turn away from me, O my God. O Lord, my Saviour, hasten to help me.’

This is the conclusion of a heartfelt prayer in which David, at the very depths of profound suffering and loneliness, clings to God as his only hope.

David, the author of Psalm 38, was at that time enduring the triple blow of serious illness, remorse for his sins, and being abandoned by his friends and family.

Furthermore, his enemies were plotting to take his life.

Precisely because there was no one left around him to rely on, he is desperately seeking God’s presence—pleading, ‘Do not forsake me’ and ‘Do not be far from me’.

The words in verse 22, ‘Hurry to my aid’, convey a sense of urgency at the very brink of collapse: ‘I’ve reached my limit; please come now’.

The Bible often depicts moments when God’s help seems slow in coming.

Yet David does not hide his weakness; he humbly sends an SOS to God, crying out, ‘Help me quickly!’

The wonderful thing about this prayer is that it does not end with words of despair, but concludes with the declaration: ‘O Lord, my Saviour’.

His circumstances have not changed in the slightest; he is still in the midst of suffering.

Yet, even amidst his suffering, he clings to a strong trust (faith) that ‘God alone is the One who will ultimately rescue me’.

This scripture teaches us ‘to lay bare our innermost thoughts before God, no matter how desperate the situation, and to continue praying whilst trusting in Him to the very end’.

Our God will never forsake us.

Even when we pour out our weaknesses to God, He unfailingly prepares the best time and way for us.

The fact that God hears every word of weakness and every murmur, and remains by our side, is the peace found in God—a peace unlike anything in this world.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.