Guilt

Is Psalm 38 David is pleading with the Lord to be near to him, despite this overwhelming guilt that he feels because of his sin.  What strikes me when I read this Psalm is the amount of times David says "I" or "my".  He is pleading with the Lord, but every statement is about him.  He can hardly focus on the goodness of God because of guilt.  He is overcome with sadness and remorse.  David wants the Lord to forgive him and spare him from the wrath due to him.  David's sins were so great and he was in such despair that he could hardly bear it.

Verse 4 says, "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear."

I've been thinking about the word guilt a lot lately.  What does it actually mean to be guilty?  How can you keep from feeling guilty when you know that something is your fault (partly or completely)... but there's nothing you can do to change it?  As I've been praying away feelings of guilt for something that is beyond my control, verse 4 of this Psalm keeps creeping back to me.  "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear."  

MY guilt.  Something I've done.  Over and over, no matter how many people say something isn't your fault, do you find yourself arguing with that?  I do.  Constantly.  And it's becoming so heavy that I can't bear it any more.  

So what can I do when I'm overwhelmed with grief and sorrow because of guilt, whether righteous or not?  As I look at some old testament accounts of the guilty... even men like David, I'm reminded that Jesus Christ took the wrath of God when he died on the cross.  God is NOT a God of guilt.  Satan is the prince of darkness and a big fat liar.  He reminds us of things we've done or makes us believe that certain things have arisen because of us.  His goal is to bring up these feelings of guilt so that we cannot be free.  It can take away from our ministries and completely overwhelm and destroy us.

Would you please join me in praying against feelings of guilt, especially from things that are beyond my control now?  I have a feeling that I'm not the only person who deals with this to some extent, so pray for this in your own life.  Jesus did not come to condemn us, but to save us.  Heal my heart, Jesus.