Psalm 38 (KJV): I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly

From Psalms

Psalm 38
(A psalm of David. A petition.)

¹O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath:
      neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
²For thine arrows stick fast in me,
      and thy hand presseth me sore.
³There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger;
      neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
⁴For mine iniquities are gone over mine head:
      as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds stink and are corrupt
      because of my foolishness.
⁶I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly;
      I go mourning all the day long.
⁷For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease:
      and there is no soundness in my flesh.
⁸I am feeble and sore broken:
      I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

⁹Lord, all my desire is before thee;
      and my groaning is not hid from thee.
¹⁰My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:
      as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
¹¹My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore;
      and my kinsmen stand afar off.
¹²They also that seek after my life lay snares for me:
      and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
      and imagine deceits all the day long.

¹³But I, as a deaf man, heard not;
      and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
¹⁴Thus I was as a man that heareth not,
      and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
¹⁵For in thee, O LORD, do I hope:
      thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
¹⁶For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me:
      when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

¹⁷For I am ready to halt,
      and my sorrow is continually before me.
¹⁸For I will declare mine iniquity;
      I will be sorry for my sin.
¹⁹But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong:
      and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
²⁰They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries;
      because I follow the thing that good is.

²¹Forsake me not, O LORD:
      O my God, be not far from me.
²²Make haste to help me,
      O Lord my salvation.

There are days like today, when I feel like I cannot bare the weight of life.  At more than one time during the day - in the past two days I felt like I needed something to take the edge off.  I can't keep up with everything going on.  The stress of work is overwhelming - and things get a little too tense at home.  The alcoholic in me thinks I need a quick drink to take it away.  Thankfully there's nothing in reach to lose my sobriety on.

Thankfully, too, I have psalms.  In psalms I know I'm not alone, in psalms I know I have salvation and help, in psalms I have perspective.

God, help me in this stress and pressure.  Help me get through these budgets and projects.  Help me keep your way - and let go of my need to control everything.

Thanks for letting me share.