the troubles of my heart

Turn to me and be gracious to me

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

Psalm 25:16-18

If we were to look at the way this psalm describes the state of David’s soul and translate it into modern therapeutic language, we would say that David is struggling with anxiety and depression. A contemporary visit to the doctor by David would probably find him receiving a couple of prescriptions for medicines to ease his symptoms. His presentation of his circumstances comes out in terms of clinical depression and he is very unhappy. He feels lonely. He feels like some outside forces are closing in on him. It fills his minds with troubled thoughts. There are extreme outside pressures he describes from people (Psalm 25:19). He is clearly suffering and is crying out for relief of this pain. Bring on the pharmaceutical correctors of chemical imbalances! But wait a minute here...

David knows that even though he has these painful feelings, they are not the root of his problems. He has a deeper soul need. That is why He cries out to God and expresses how his heart is feeling. He asks for God to act. He knows that grace, deliverance, and forgiveness are what his soul needs in order to find relief.

Twice already in this psalm David has pled for God to forgive his sin (see Psalm 25:7; 25:11). He knows what will get to the root of all these painful feelings and it isn’t a pill or “talking it out” to find the answers with a professional. What will get to the root is the grace of God, forgiving mercy, and full redemption that only God can provide. And so David prays a third time for God to take in all of his affliction and trouble and forgive all his sin (Psalm 25:18).

Grace can calm our troubled hearts. Forgiveness can bring peace when our own sins trouble us. God’s mercy can lift us above our painful feelings to rejoice in our great salvation. And that is why everyday I must preach the gospel to my own soul! It’s good for my overall well-being.