Meditations on Psalm 86:5

While putting together a sermon on the forgiveness of God, I came across Psalm 86:5 (perhaps the Lord knew I needed this particular text):

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

The goodness and forgiveness of God together - what a beautiful portrait!

"Abounding in steadfast love."  Every believer needs to know this.  God is never going to run out of his love, for it is steadfast - he abounds in steadfast love. Wow!

"To all who call upon you."  God is available to all who call upon him.  His steadfast love awaits.  His forgiveness awaits.  His goodness awaits.

Let's run to God, the One who abounds in steadfast love.

But for you, O Lord, do I wait

In Psalm 38, David is defeated.  He needs to confess his sins.  They are are weighing heavily on him.  He is under God's judgment as a result.

1. Internal effects:

[3] There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
  [4] For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
[5] My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
  [6] I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
  [7] For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
  [8] I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart. (Psalm 38:3-8 ESV)

Notice the many references to his physical body, "no soundness in my flesh," "no health in my bones," and so on.

2. The external effects:

[11] My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
and my nearest kin stand far off.

[12] Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
and meditate treachery all day long. (Psalm 38:11-12 ESV)

Because of unconfessed sins, David finds his friends standing at a distance, and his enemies seem to be plotting against him all day long.

His social life is affected greatly.

However, David finds his solution verses 15, 21-22: he needs to wait for God to be his salvation.

But he must confess his sins and turn from them (v. 18).

Oh, Taste and See!

Over the years, I've quoted Psalm 34:8 in several different presentations.  It has a particular ring to it.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

This verse is found in a chapter that calls on the reader to "bless the Lord," "boast in the Lord," "magnify the Lord" (vvv. 1, 2, 3, respectively).

But I must confess that I've paid little attention to the second line: "Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
In this Psalm, David is inviting the reader to enjoy a similar experience, that is, to "taste and see that the Lord is good!"

In other words, we are all invited to feast on God, and to truly experience for ourselves that his is good.