Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study of Psalm 38 (November 20, 2025)

November 20, 2025:  Thursday Bible Study on Old Testament of Psalm 38

Blessings, Peace, and staying warm on this November rainy morning my dear friends.

In your prayers, please hold up Vincente who was in a bad car accident as a passenger. He has had several head surgeries since and has more to go at Banner UMC. Pray too for Caesar who suffered first time seizures at work this week, who is hospitalized in an induced coma. Also, pray for Lisa whose tests for cancer can now be completed, and for her wife Kandice as she continues near death in hospice care at home.

Psalm 38 gives us yet another look at how David sees himself in his relationship with YHWH. David spends the early part of this Psalm in confession, singing not only about his many errors, but also letting the listener know that there are many consequences for poor decision making which He sees as YHWH's in-breaking action due to David's stupidity. In the Psalm text it is clear that David, who is likely the author of this song, sees that suffering is linked to sin. You and I know all about that in the lives of people around this earth, and I am always telling my sons that making poor choices will have many consequences, many of which they will be unaware as possibilities for their actions and words, and in David's case they have implications for international relationships, as well as, directly within his own nation state, Israel.  In a more modern interpretation of the Psalm, there is a use of words with which you and I are probably much more familiar in verse 16, " They (my enemies) must not rejoice in relation to me, when my foot faltered, they acted big over me."  However, even in this, what is so amazing is that David's faith is not shattered by the activity of his enemies, at home, or in other nations. This is so because David's faith would seem to be unshakable. He always trusts that eventually, when the time is right, YHWH will respond on his behalf, to protect him and save him from all who would harm him. The reality of this is that David understands that God is God, and though you ask, His response will be in His time, in His way, and will always come!

I think that today we forget this too often. I know that through our prayer chain many prayers are answered in ways that we feel are really timely and good, but we must never stop being aware that God is God. He tells Moses that He is to be called I Am. What this means, is that sometimes God answers in ways that we may not understand or even want. YHWH's action will always be perfect for the movement of His plan for all of creation, including the day to day lives of His faithful children. In this Psalm I think David gets it! We should too! David's strong faith takes care of him in the toughest of times, and he knows that God is coming to save him from himself, and others too.

Thanks for being with me today. Next week we will have our Monday and Tuesday studies on the Acts of the Apostles, but there will no Psalm study due to the national holiday Thanksgiving. Please come and join us as we celebrate Christ the King this coming Sunday. The bells will ring as part of our thanks and praise for Christ's kingship in our lives.

In Christ's love, Pastor Kim