Psalm 41: The Lord Who Heals

Psalm 41
The Lord Who Heals

5. My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"

6. When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.

7. All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8. "A vile disease has afflicted him; he will never get up from the place where he lies."

9. Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

In the book of Job, we see friends visiting the sick Job. These are his close friends. They start by comforting Job and urging him to repent, but eventually criticize and attack him.

The sick poet in Psalm 41 is in a similar situation to Job. Unlike Job, this poet repents of his sins. Yet people still speak ill of him. They wonder when the poet will die and when his name will disappear. They spread lies about him and claim he will never rise again. Even the friend who shared bread at the poet's table has turned against him.

The poet calls himself poor. His body is sick and the pain is unbearable, while his neighbors and friends are just waiting for his death. Is there anyone poorer than this? The poet is in such great pain that even comfort and encouragement are hard to bear.

Do you have a friend or acquaintance who is suffering from illness? Let's make a call to comfort and encourage them. Or send a text message. With the Chuseok holiday approaching, why not send a small gift?

Lord who heals, God of healing, please heal the poor who are suffering from illness. Give them new strength. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth. Amen.