I said, "Have mercy on me, LORD; heal me, for I have sinned against you." – Psalm 41:4

Today's Scripture Reading (November 7, 2025): Psalm 41

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan said, "Behind every beautiful thing, there's been some kind of pain." I get it; I understand physical pain. I have suffered through a lot of it during my life. Much of the pain that I suffer is self-inflicted. Old injuries that act up and cause discomfort. I am not sure that I would change anything. I loved the things I did when I was younger, but I am paying a price for my misdeeds in later life.

I also understand emotional pain. In the last couple of months, I have had the privilege of sitting at the deathbed of a couple of very close friends. It hurt to hold their hands, to hear the words and stories of a life that was coming to an end. However, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. And so, I sat, held hands, listened to what needed to be said, and loved those in the process of leaving. And I know that, given time, beautiful things will emerge from this pain.

I also know the self-inflicted spiritual pain. More times than I want to remember, I have suffered pain that was a result of my sin or wrongdoings. This was pain that didn't have to be, but was. I believe that beautiful things will come out of this pain as well. But it is in those moments that we must turn to God and ask for help. Here, I need the mercy of God to bring me through the pain and into the beauty of his plan.

I don't know about you, but I have to admit that as I read this Psalm, I often have an interesting reaction. The way it is phrased, it almost sounds like the Psalmist is asking God for help that is deserved because of his sin. In the preceding verses, he appears to argue the reverse —that he deserves God's help because of his good deeds. But here argues that he deserves healing because he has sinned. God heal me, because the pain that I am suffering is all my fault. It is an intriguing reaction to pain. But maybe we need to take a closer look at the passage's intent. In Hebrew, the phrase heal me would be better rendered as "Heal my soul." So, Young's Literal Translation translates this verse as "I -- I said, `O Jehovah, favour me, Heal my soul, for I did sin against Thee'" (Psalm 41:4 Young's Literal Translation). The Psalmist recognizes that the pain he is experiencing is because of his sin. His pain is the self-inflicted spiritual pain that only God can heal. And so he cries out to God, recognizing that he has sinned, that he is the cause of his pain, and that God is the only solution to that pain.

We have all found ourselves in that position. And we know that God is the only solution. We also know that if we cry out to God, he can make something beautiful even out of our broken lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 55