Psalm 40:12

Psalm 40:12

My sins have overtaken me

After the dark depression and laments found in Psalms 38 and 39 it has been refreshing to join David on an upward spiral as he begins to reflect on the goodness, love and faithfulness of the Lord once again. However, David is human and there will inevitably be days of doubt and backward looking as he continues his journey out of the miry pit of despair. Those of us who have suffered with mental illness or the depression and doubt that follow a sinful episode in our lives, will understand what is happening in this verse. The road to recovery is long and arduous but gradually the good days grow longer and, over time, they outnumber the bad ones. However, there are still times where our feet slip and we slide backwards until a gentle hand reaches down and lifts us up again. This verse exemplifies this, David is looking around and looking down instead of up. Once again he is troubled by the problems that surround him and by the sinful past that threatens to overwhelm him. This is a bad day; his sins outweigh the number of hairs on his head and he can feel the thump of his anxious heart. My friends, so long as we look around at the problems and we reflect on our own sinful weakness, we will be overwhelmed and downcast. We have to look to a God who forgives and who will restore. It takes time but He will bring us through. Hallelujah!

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