4 I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you." 5 My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?" 6 Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad. 7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying, 8 "A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies." 9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

This portion of psalm sounds more like it was written by Job in the midst of his trials than it does by David. It is easy for us to identify with Job as he sat in misery, in physical pain, in emotional distress and grief, accused by his friends and even deserted in faith by his wife. We often see ourselves as being really bad off and wonder how anyone could suffer as much as we are.

We then think of David and we see one who was a gentle shepherd, a skilled harpist, a genuine diplomat and eventually a great leader and king. Sure, he had some problems along the way but these are overshadowed in our mind with the glamour of his life. Yet, David faced trials just like Job. While not all at one time in one catastrophic event after another, David faced the same kinds of problems.

The one thing that stands out as a difference between the two is how David would often admit his guilt of sin against God. (Yes, Job rightly defended his integrity, in that he was not suffering because of sin in his life.) David, in all his goodness, still realized that he often sinned against God. His life and his heart were set on serving God, yet he gave in to temptation just as we do today. David did not live in constant guilt nor did he “beat himself up” day after day. When David recognized he had sinned, he would admit his guilt and repent of his evil and ask God to forgive him. David did not tell God to forgive him “if” he had sinned. He did not make excuses for his sin. He did not try to “sugar coat” his sin or even explain it. When he had committed the most grievous of sins (as we count them), he said that he had sinned against God and begged for forgiveness. We all sin and we need to emulate the attitude of David in the abhorrence of sin and in the readiness to repent.

O Lord God, I know that I am weak and I know that I sin against you in the things that I say and do. I ask for wisdom to recognize when I sin and the honesty to admit it. Give me a pure heart so that I will repent and the faith to accept your forgiveness. In your mercy and lovingkindness, give me peace and assurance. I thank you for your Son Jesus, who gave his sinless life in the place of my sinful one so that I can be one with you. In Jesus’ name.

May God bless each of us as we humbly submit to him today.