Psalm 38:10

Psalm 38:10

10 My heart palpitated, my strength abandoned me;

And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.

THE REMEDY FOR A WEAK HEART

An electrocardiogram, or ECG for short, is a medical test that allows the doctor to check for signs of heart disease. The psalmist in Psalm 38, however, needed no such medical technology to be alerted to his problem. He laments in verse 10, “My heart palpitated, my strength abandoned me.”

What is the cause of the Psalmist’s malady? Simply, his sin.

Parallel verses and similar sounding words in vv. 4 and 6 bewail the weight of his sin: “For my iniquities (avon) passed over my head; like a weighty burden, they are too heavy for me” (verse 4); “I am bent (avah), I am bowed down exceedingly; all day long in darkness I walked about.” The Psalmist’s sin was so weighty that it caused him to feel that his heart was failing.

What is the remedy for this malady of sin? Simply, confession.

This is what the psalmist does in vv. 3-7, and then he expresses confidence that YHWH will answer him (v. 15) because of his confession of sin (v. 18).

Years ago, like the Psalmist, I too suffered from the malady of a heart that was “palpitating”, for I was struggling with a particular sin of the heart. It took me two years of wrestling with it, giving in and confessing repeatedly, before the Lord granted me victory over it. However, memory of that sin recently began haunting me, especially since I found myself in a situation that was making me vulnerable to committing a similar sin again. One morning, the Lord impressed upon me that I should confess this sin to a trusted person. I did, and obtained release.

Has your heart been palpitating under the weight of your sin? Confess to the Lord. Do what he calls you to do, and find release from the burden of your sin.

Anonymous