In the Word: Sin and Suffering

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next few weeks, we will be meditating on themes of God’s mercy. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God’s Word each week with us! 

“For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see;
They are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
Who seek to snatch away my life.”
Psalm 40:12-14a

READ:

In this psalm, David speaks of being in a pit—a miry bog of suffering. As the Psalm progresses, two variations of suffering are mentioned—personal sins (Psalm 40:12) and a near-death experience at the hand of others (Psalm 40:13-14). Note that the latter doesn’t appear to correspond to a particular sin David has committed, for David openly declares that the sins of others are to their shame.

In such suffering from others who seek to take his life, David makes a theological step in his thinking that is often unnatural to those in pain. David does not forget about his own sin (Psalm 40:12). He does not forget about the grander biblical perspective for his life—that before God, he is not exempt from being in need of mercy.

As those later in history than David, we can think of the new covenant by Christ’s blood and the suffering brought upon Christ on the cross on the basis of sins. To me, there is no clearer correlation in Scripture between suffering and sin—and none more helpful to my posture before him—than in the case of Christ. It’s my sins that held him there. Meditating upon what God’s mercy meant for Jesus on the cross, the believing soul yields praise in suffering and grief.

REFLECT:

1. How does meditating on God’s mercy given us a greater view of our own sin?
2. In what ways does the cross lead us to praise God in suffering and grief?

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