Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God.
David composed this psalm as a memorial, knowing how quickly God's chastisements slip from our minds even though they ought to instruct us all our lives. The title points to his purpose: to keep the lessons of affliction alive in himself and in others.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 38:1-22
Forsake me not, O Lord. Now is the time I need thee most. When sickness, slander, and sin, all beset a saint, he requires the especial aid of heaven, and he shall have it too. He is afraid of nothing while God is with him, and God is with him evermore. Be not far from me. Withhold not the light of thy near and dear love. Reveal thyself to me.
David's enemies are relentless: they lay snares all day long, speaking mischief one to another. When he stumbles, they magnify themselves against him as though he were already ruined. Worst of all, they render him evil for good, repaying his kindness with hatred and deceit. Such is the enmity of the serpent's seed.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 38:12-22