A lot of the “problems” westerners go through are what we call “first-world problems”: If you’re rich and comfortable, little annoyances get exaggerated into big huge crises. Like when your phone battery dies, or the grocery store shrinks your favorite yogurt from 150 grams to 100 and raises the price a nickel, or somebody cut in line at the coffeehouse, or someone misunderstood your latest tweet and got all offended. Now your day is just ruined.
Poor people just laugh at these woes as ridiculous. ’Cause they are.
Parents of teenagers know what I’m talking about. I used to teach grammar, and my kids would write poetry, and sometimes they’d write really awful poems in which they’d bellyache about the “problems” in their largely problem-free lives. Rarely were they legitimate—like not having enough food, like fighting a difficult disease, like child abuse. Just a bunch of first-world problems. This or that kid was mean to ’em. Parents wouldn’t give them the money to waste on toys or clothes or concerts. And who needs good grades when you’re gonna be in the
Anyway. You want some real suffering, kids, you listen to David ben Jesse. Dude peaked too soon, making his king crazy jealous, forcing him into hiding for years. Once he finally took the throne he had to fight three civil wars—and that’s on top of all Israel’s external foes.
Plus, at the time he wrote this psalm, David apparently hadn’t changed his drawers in way too long, leading to a savage case of crotch rot in verse 7… and that’s the optimistic interpretation. Best I don’t speculate further. But you think your life sucks? David’s really sucked.
Yes, my translation made it rhyme again.
Psalm 38 KWL - 0 David’s psalm—something to remember.
- 1 L
ORD , don’t correct me angrily, instructing me in heat, - 2 because your arrows fall on me. Your strong hand has me beat.
- 3 My flesh’s instability from your indignant face;
- my bones lack peace; my sinning moves your presence out of place.
- 4 I’ve more misdeeds than height! a heavy, heavy load for me.
- 5 My wounds all stink and rot thanks to my clear stupidity.
- 6 I’m twisted, bent way down; I walk in darkness all the day.
- 7 My burning genitals!—unstable flesh just wastes away.
- 8 I’m numb. I’m very crushed. My groaning heart through which I’ve cried—
- 9 My Master, my desires and sighs are obvious. Don’t hide.
- 10 My heart vibrates. My strength is gone. My eyes’ light: Also gone.
- 11 My loves and friends both shun my plague. My nearest: Far along.
- 12 Some want to trap my soul, have me wreak havoc, do what’s wrong.
- They meditate on tricks to play upon me all day long.
- 13 I’m deaf, so I heard nothing. Mouth not open. I stayed mute.
- 14 Much like a man who doesn’t hear, I’d nothing to refute.
- 15 I hope in you, my L
ORD , my Master God. Reply, I plead: - 16 I said, “These big shots hope to see me trip on my own feet.”
- 17 For I expect to fall! It’s like I’m walking on a thorn.
- 18 My evil I confess; my sinning causes me to mourn.
- 19 My enemies, alive and strong—and liars—come in droves.
- 20 Instead of goodness, vice; since I chase goodness, they oppose.
- 21 Don’t leave me, L
ORD ! I need you here. Please don’t be far away. - 22 Save me quick, my Master and my savior—come today!