The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
41 How blessed is he who considers the [a]helpless;
The Lord will deliver him in a day of [b]trouble.
2 The Lord will protect him and keep him alive,
And he shall [c]be called blessed upon the earth;
And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.
3 The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, You [d]restore him to health.4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And [e]when he comes to see me, he speaks [f]falsehood;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt, saying,
8 “A wicked thing is poured out [g]upon him,
That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.10 But You, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that You are pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And You set me in Your presence forever.13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
While the psalmist complains of “enemies and false friends”, he also makes a startling confession. He starts out describing the one “who considers the helpless”, that person who is always looking out for others, the one who is selfless. Then, he turns right around and admits that he has sinned against God.
What he doesn’t say is, “Hey God, I know how you feel about selfless folks, how you take care of them. Remember all the great things I’ve done for other people? I need a little help here, and I think I’ve earned it…” No, the psalmist readily admits his failings, and asks for God’s help and healing regardless. Why? Because he knows God is gracious, and His love is something that can never be earned.
Whatever we might think we’ve done for good, or whatever evil, rotten deeds we haven’t done (you know, like so-and-so), we can’t earn back his love with our deeds. As Paul reminds us, “all have sinned, and all have fallen short.” God’s love is poured out then, on those who don’t deserve it, on those who ask, and trust Him with their very lives.
So what are you waiting around for? If you need help, if you’re desperate, and tired of trying to make it on your own, there’s hope, and so much more. God isn’t waiting for us to become that “perfect” individual before He accepts us. Rather, He has already called you, and offers all of himself to those who will call on His name. Trust Him, he’s got you covered!