Psalm 38: Lessons From David Regarding the Consequences and Remedies For Sin
Introduction: This is one of the many psalms where David cried out to God for relief from the consequences of his sins (e.g., Ps. 6, 32, 51, 102, 130 and 143). This type of psalm is called a “penitential psalm.” Through this psalm, God provides seven lessons on both the consequences and remedies for sin. Unrepentant sin frequently leads to your: (1) sorrow, (2) pain, (3) humility, and (4) rejection, that can only be remedied through: (5) faith, (6) repentance, and (7) prayers.
First, David’s failure to repent of his sins led to his sorrow because his fellowship with God was broken. God was then forced to discipline him to bring him back. Unrepentant sin eventually brings sorrow to the sinner and God’s discipline. Second, David’s failure to repent of his sins also led him to suffer poor health. Unrepentant sin eventually brings pain to the sinner. This can also take the form of poor health and illnesses. Third, having been disciplined, David was humbled before God. God frequently uses discipline to humble the sinner to prepare the person’s heart for correction. Fourth, as a result of sins, David’s relationships with others were also broken. Unrepentant sin also eventually leads to rejection and isolation. Fifth, although he did not deserve God’s help, David had faith in God’s mercy and grace to forgive him and help him. Faith in Jesus provides the only means to atone for sin. He is filled with mercy and grace for any who believe in His atoning death at the cross. Sixth, to receive God’s mercy and grace, David confessed and repented of his sins. To receive Jesus’ mercy and grace, every sinner must also first confess and repent of their sins. Finally, after his sins were forgiven David prayed for deliverance. Every sinner should also turn to Jesus in prayer for His deliverance from sin.
1. Sorrow: Unrepentant Sin Eventually Brings Sorrow to The Sinner. Ps. 38:1-2.
David prayed for mercy after God disciplined him for his many sins. Although David was a man of faith, he committed terrible sins including adultery and murder. His sins temporarily broke his fellowship with God and brought him great sorrow: “A Psalm of David, for a memorial. 1Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your burning anger. 2 For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down on me.” (Ps. 38:1-2). This was similar to his psalm 6: “A Psalm of David. 1Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor discipline me in Your wrath.” (Ps. 6:1).
David’s sorrow (image credit)1
David expressed sorrow because of God’s discipline. David felt that God’s “arrows” had “sunk deep into” him (Ps. 38:2). These were almost the exact words that Job had used during his trials: “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God line up against me.” (Job 6:4). Although we do not know the sin that gave rise to this psalm, God did discipline David for his sins. The best example of this was his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah (2 Sam. 11:4-24). Because of David’s adultery and murder, God warned that conflict would exist within his family: “Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.’ (2 Sam. 12:10-11). His adulterous child with Bathsheba would also die at childbirth (2 Sam. 12:14). David later thanked God that his severe discipline did not include the death that he deserved: “The LORD has disciplined me severely, but He has not turned me over to death.” (Ps. 118:18). God also warned David that He would also discipline his descendants when they sinned against Him: “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind,” (2 Sam. 7:14). Out of love, God may also discipline you when you sin. His goal is always to bring you back to Him.
God disciplines those whom He loves. God repeatedly warns that He will discipline sin. But He does so out of love the way a parent disciplines a child (Heb. 12:7). His goal is to change the behavior of the sinner and restore true fellowship: “So you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” (Dt. 8:5). “With rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing; You consume like a moth what is precious to him; certainly all mankind is mere breath! Selah” (Ps. 39:11). “For whom the LORD loves He disciplines, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.” (Prov. 3:12). “For whom the Lord Loves He disciplines, and He punishes every son whom He accepts.” (Heb. 12:6). “But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Cor. 11:32). “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19). If you have been discipled, take solace that God does so out of love for you.
While David felt sorrow because of his sins, Jesus felt sorrow because of our sins. One commentator observes that “We read of the deep distress and agony of David in the psalm and recognize that it was because of his own sin (as will be described). We then understand that on the cross Jesus was made the target of the same agony, but for our sins, not for His own. This hand pressed down upon Jesus, and in a greater way than David ever knew . . . Understanding the agony helps us to understand something of the greatness of the love that sent Him to the cross — for us.” (David Guzik on Ps. 38) (emphasis original).2
2. Pain: Unrepentant Sin Eventually Brings Pain to The Sinner. Ps. 38:3-8.
David cried out because of the pain caused by his sins. In addition to causing sorrow, David’s sins took a toll on his health: “3 There is no healthy part in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my guilty deeds have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. 5 My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness. 6 I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go in mourning all day long. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no healthy part in my flesh. 8 I feel faint and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.” (Ps. 38:3-8). David’s suffering forced him to confront his sins.
Sin can lead to suffering. David frequently stated that his sins led to his suffering: “Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am frail; heal me, Lord, for my bones are horrified.” (Ps. 6:2). “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me.” (Ps. 22:14). “For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my guilt, and my body has wasted away.” (Ps. 31:10). “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” (Ps. 32:3). “As for me, I said, ‘LORD, be gracious to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”’ (Ps. 41:4). “One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, but one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion.” (Prov. 28:13). Illnesses can come for many reasons. Thus, you should not assume that an illness is a punishment. Yet, regardless of the reasons, God wants you to turn to Him. This may include repentance. But it should always include requests for help.
With faith, Jesus can also restore your lost health. Isaiah revealed that our Messiah would be crushed for our sins. Through the promised suffering of our Messiah, believers can also be healed: “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Is. 53:5). Just as Isaiah foretold, Jesus suffered for our sins (2 Pet. 2:16). Despite suffering even worse afflictions than David, Job professed God’s power to heal: “For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” (Job 5:8). Satan could only touch his health with God’s permission (Job 2:6). Depending upon His greater plans for good (Ro. 8:28), God can either place a hedge of protection around your health, remove it, or restore it. Unless God has another reason for your suffering, He promises to pour out His blessings on you when you live in faith-led obedience (Dt. 28:1-2). This can include His promise to protect you from diseases and poor health: “And He said, ‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.’” (Ex. 15:26; Dt. 7:15). ‘“See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”’ (Dt. 32:39). “ . . . the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted.” (Is. 30:26). “For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” (Job 5:8). “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Ps. 147:3). “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Ps. 107:20). When you are sick, God wants your prayers for the restoration of your health.
Praise God when He does heal you. Whenever God did heal him, David praised God and gave Him the full credit: “LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.” (Ps. 30:2). “Who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases;” (Ps. 103:3). “He sent His word and healed them, and saved them from their destruction.” (Ps. 107:20). “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:26). If God has healed you of an illness, are you giving Him the praise?
3. Humility: God Disciplines Sinners to Humble Them for Correction. Ps. 38:9-10.
In humility, David opened his heart to God for correction. David could not conceal any sin from God. Thus, in humility, he invited God to search his heart and correct and him: “9 Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.” (Ps. 38:9-10). David knew that he was wrong to try to conceal his sins from God: “Would God not find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” (Ps. 44:10). “God, You know my foolishness, and my guilt is not hidden from You.” (Ps. 69:5). His prior attempts to conceal his sins had only caused his strength to dry up (Ps. 6:7; 38:10).
Humble yourself before God. David knew that God hears the requests of the humble: “LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive.” (Ps. 10:17). When Job questioned God, God responded in part that all nature was in submission to Him: “Will the wild bull be willing to serve you, or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?” (Job 39:9). In response to Job’s efforts to challenge God, God also asked if he had His power: “Or do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His?” (Job 40:9). There is no other God besides Him: “I am the LORD, and there is no one else; there is no God except Me. I will arm you, though you have not known Me,” (Is. 45:5). “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him.” (Dt. 4:35). Only His hand has the power to save us: “‘See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can save anyone from My hand.” (Dt. 32:39).
Approach God in prayer and worship with a contrite and humble heart. God wants to exalt you. But you must first approach Him in humility: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Prov. 29:23). “‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”’ (Jam. 4:6(b)). “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Ja. 4:10). “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.” (Lk. 1:52). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1 Pet. 5:6). “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5 KJV). In worship and in prayer, approach God in humility.
If a nation humbles itself before God, He will deliver it. God promises to deliver any nation that humbles itself before Him: “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chr. 7:14). It is the role of the Church to pray and be His salt and light in leading the nation to repent. Is your church fasting and praying for your nation to return to God in humility?
4. Rejection: Unrepentant Sin Leads to Rejection and Isolation. Ps. 38:11-12.
David cried out for God to restore his broken relationships with his family and friends. As another consequence of his sins, David’s relationships with others also suffered: “11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand far away. 12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me; and those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, and they plot deception all day long.” (Ps. 38:11-12). David needed his friends and family when his enemies sought to destroy him. While God is quick to forgive when we repent, our friends and family frequently are not. In these circumstances, believers must also pray for God to soften their hearts to forgive you.
David frequently felt rejected and isolated. David frequently complained to God when others had turned against him: “But I am a worm and not a person, a disgrace of mankind and despised by the people.” (Ps. 22:6). “Because of all my adversaries, I have become a disgrace, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.” (Ps. 31:11). “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Ps. 41:9). “I have become estranged from my brothers, and a stranger to my mother’s sons. . .who sit in the gate talk about me, and songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.” (Ps. 69:8, 12). “You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out.” (Ps. 88:8). “I have become a laughingstock to all my people, their song of ridicule all the day.” (Lam. 3:14). When you are disgraced or rejected because of your sins, cry out for God to comfort you.
Job unfairly lost the respect of everyone around him. Even though he was not guilty of any major sin, Job cried out to God after Satan turned his wife, friends, and the rest of society against him: “Mockers are certainly with me, and my eye gazes on their provocation.” (Job 17:2). Satan first turned Job’s wife against him (Job 2:9; 19:17a). Satan then turned all of Job’s friends against him. “4 I am a joke to my friends, . . .” (Job 12:4a). “My friends are my scoffers; . . .” (Job 16:20a). “All my associates loathe me, and those I love have turned against me. . . My relatives have failed, and my close friends have forgotten me. . . “He has removed my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances have completely turned away from me. All my associates loathe me, and those I love have turned against me.” (Job 19:9,13-14, 19). They loathe me and stand aloof from me, and they do not refrain from spitting in my face.” (Job 30:10). Eventually, even children feared him and despised him: “Even young children despise me; I stand up and they speak against me.” (Job 19:18). When you feel that others have turned against you, Jesus also wants you to cry out to Him.
Jesus was also humiliated so that you could be empowered. Although He was without sin, Jesus bore our shame. Jesus was mocked when He stated that a girl believed to be dead was only asleep before He healed her (Matt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40). The soldiers also mocked Jesus when they beat Him (Matt. 27:29), and the chief priests mocked Him as well (Matt. 27:41). “Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,” (Matt. 26:67). “They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.” (Matt. 27:30). Jesus suffered without deserving it so that you might be saved. He also wants you to know that He understands your pain. Even when others reject you, He never will leave you or forsake you because of your sins: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or in dread of them, for the LORD your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you.” (Dt. 31:6).
5. Faith: Faith in Jesus Provides The Only Means to Atone For Sin. Ps. 38:13-17.
David expressed confidence in God’s ability to restore all that he had lost because of sin. David could not fix the consequences of his sins. But he knew that God would do so: “13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear; and I am like a person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth. 14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no arguments. 15 For I wait for You, Lord; You will answer, Lord my God. 16 For I said, ‘May they not rejoice over me, who, when my foot slips, would exalt themselves over me.’ 17 For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.” (Ps. 38:13-17). David had the faith to know that God’s mercy was greater than his sins: “I have called upon You, for You will answer me, God; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.” (Ps. 17:6). “Wrongdoings prevail against me; as for our offenses, You forgive them.” (Ps. 65:3). You cannot reconcile with God on your own. But you can with Jesus.
With faith, all things are possible with God. God once reassured Abraham that there was nothing beyond His power: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Gen. 18:14). Just as David did here, the great leaders of the faith would restate God’s promises and His faith to boost both their faith and the faith of those around them: “‘Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, You Yourself have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,” (Jer. 32:17). “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). “All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, but He does according to His will among the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can fend off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan. 4:35). Jesus also restated faith in God, the Father’s power, as an example for us: “And looking at them, Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Matt. 19:26). The next time your faith weakens, restate God’s Word to boost your faith.
6. Repentance: Every Sinner Must Confess and Repent of Their Sins. Ps. 38:18.
David acknowledged and confessed his sins. As the first step to restoration, David confessed his sins: “18 For I admit my guilt; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.” (Ps. 38:18). Just as with David, God allows you to feel sorrow for your sins out of love to bring you to repentance: “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor. 7:9-10).
David frequently confessed his sins. As our example, David openly confessed his sins to God: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my guilt; I said, ‘I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah” (Ps. 32:5). “Wash me thoroughly from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.” (Ps. 51:2).
Confess your sins. Feeling regret about the consequences of your sins is not the same as acknowledging and confessing your sins: “To be sorry for sin is no atonement for it, but it is the right spirit in which to [turn] to Jesus, who is the reconciliation and the Saviour.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 38). Job was another hero of the faith who confessed his sins. He also retracted his prior complaints against God: “3 Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. . . 5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; 6 therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:3, 5-6). Isaiah also knew that he was a sinner before God: “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of armies.”’ (Is. 6:5). Your healing process also requires that you acknowledge and confess your sins to Jesus. If you have hurt someone else, this also includes confessing your sins to the person you have hurt: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.” (Jam. 5:16).
Repent of your sins. Because sinners cannot be in God’s holy presence, Jesus began His ministry with a call for sinners to repent of its sins and turn back to God. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’ (Matt. 4:17). Jesus came “saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’ (Mk. 1:15). His disciples also began their ministry with a call to repentance: “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”’ (Acts 2:38). If you say that you are without sin, the Bible says that the truth is not in you (1 Jo. 1:8). What sins do you need to repent of?
Jesus will forgive your sins when you confess them. Thankfully, Jesus promises to forgive your sins if you confess them: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jo. 1:9). He not only forgives sins, He will remember the sins no more: “I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Is. 43:25). If you feel that your sins cannot be forgiven, that shows a lack of faith.
You must also regularly wash your sins by reading the Word. Jesus also makes it clear that believers need to be washed even after they have been saved. At the Last Supper, Peter initially refused Jesus’ offer to wash his feet. Jesus responded by rebuking him: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (Jo. 13:8). Peter then asked Jesus to wash his feet, hands, and head. Jesus responded: “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet.” (Jo. 13:10). In other words, Jesus died once for your sins, but your flesh gets dirty each day and must still be washed. You read God’s Word to first expose your sins: “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word . . .” (Eph. 5:26). You then confess the sins that Jesus reveals to you (1 Jo. 1:9). Are you reading the Word to cleanse yourself and confessing the sins of your daily life?
Approaching God with unrepentant sin can “hinder” your prayers. In the Old Testament, God warned that He will not hear the prayers of a sinner: “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” (Is. 1:15; Is. 59:2-3; Prov. 15:29; 8:9 Ps. 66:18). Jesus later repeated these warnings (Jo. 9:31). Although some claim that Jesus was only speaking about non-believers, the New Testament still makes clear that sin can “hinder” your prayers (1 Pet. 3:7). Thus, approaching God in prayer without first repenting of your sins will hinder God’s ability to hear you and answer your prayers. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1).
Praise Jesus for His mercy and forgiveness. Praise helps to keep you from taking Jesus’ mercy for granted and returning to sins that He has forgiven. As our example, the Jews celebrated that God forgave their sins, despite their stiff-necked and rebellious nature: “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;”’ (Ex. 34:6; 33:19; Nu. 19:18). “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” (Dt. 4:31). “You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy; and You did not abandon them.” (Neh. 9:17). Are you praising Jesus for His mercy and grace in your life?
Give thanks that God’s faithfulness is not dependent on your faithfulness. God remained faithful to His promise to never forsake the Jews: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Dt. 31:6; 4:31; Heb. 13:5). ‘“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”’ (Is. 43:25). He was faithful even when the Jews rebelled against Him (Neh. 9:18-19). You can also give thanks that His faithfulness is not conditioned upon your faithfulness: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13). Have you given thanks that God will not use your sins to revoke His promises to you?
7. Prayer: Every Sinner Must Turn to Jesus For Deliverance From Sin. Ps. 38:19-22.
David prayed for God to deliver him from his sins. After repenting of his sins, David petitioned God to show him grace by delivering from the consequences of his sins: “19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong, and those who wrongfully hate me are many. 20 And those who repay evil for good, they become my enemies, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not abandon me, Lord; my God, do not be far from me! 22 Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!” (Ps. 38:19-22). David had the faith to know that God’s mercy and grace could deliver him from both the worldly and eternal punishments that he deserved.
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With faith, Jesus can deliver you from the worldly consequences of your sins. Out of grace, David sought deliverance from his enemies: “Be gracious to me, LORD; see my oppression from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,” (Ps. 9:13). “He saved me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.” (Ps. 18:17). “Look at my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred.” (Ps. 25:19). “But my enemies are vigorous and strong, and those who wrongfully hate me are many.” (Ps. 38:19). “Rescue me from my enemies, my God; set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.” (Ps. 59:1). Through faith in Jesus, He can rescue you from your enemies when you sin.
With faith, Jesus can deliver you from the eternal consequences of your sins. Out of grace, David also sought the deliverance of his soul: “God is to us a God of salvation; and to GOD the Lord belong ways of escape from death.” (Ps. 68:20). “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” (Ps. 16:10). “LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.” (Ps. 30:3). “But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah” (Ps. 49:15). “For You have saved my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God In the light of the living.” (Ps. 56:13). “For Your graciousness toward me is great, and You have saved my soul from the depths of Sheol.” (Ps. 86:13). Through faith in Jesus, He can also rescue you from eternal consequences of your sins. Thus, He deserves praise.