A Song of Remembrance

Beloved People of God,

All of us know what it feels like to fail. The sear of shame, the burning against the skin of our neck born of embarrassment or humiliation. Some of us may hide it better than others, but we’ve all fallen short of our intentions. We all know what it feels like to regret. Whether it was the weight of our actions or the expense of our words, we’ve all played back the minutes riddled with guilt, at times unable to break the loop that keeps our minds spinning out. We all know these feelings (whether a little or a lot) because we’ve all sinned. We’ve all come to a point in our lives where we recognize the Lord’s displeasure with how we’re living.

King David experienced this and was open about the ups and downs of his life with God. He knew his guilt. He felt his shame. Wisely, he knew better than to suffer long in silence. Knowing he’d sinned against God, he asked for mercy, he requested gentle discipline empty of wrath. He confessed his sin and the weight of iniquities. At times, all he could muster was a sigh, a grief-stricken groan, but he gave it voice before God all the same. Why? Because he knew God alone was his salvation. God alone was the help he needed.

In the third century, the North African theologian Athanasius wrote: “When you feel the Lord’s displeasure, if you see that you are troubled by this, you can say Psalm 38.” For Athanasius, singing David’s song of remembrance was a pathway through penitence to restoration. With David, we admit our failure, lament our sin, and entrust ourselves once more to God.

Today, join your voice across the ages with David's voice in Psalm 38, passing through the joy of confession into the peace of lament.

For His Name’s Sake,

Brett