leanness of soul

Psalm 106 is all very sobering when we recognize ourselves in these portraits of the ancient Hebrews and acknowledge that both we and our ancestors (religious, national, ethnic) have sinned. Verse 15 gives me particular pause. God "gave them what they asked, but send a wasting disease (leanness into their soul KJV) among them." I feel a deep angst that all of the energy and "prayer" being poured into establishing and defending a privileged, protected status for Christians (especially the "evangelical" voting block) is a sign of the wasting disease of leanness of soul.