Saturday in the Psalms (Psalm 6)

Psalm 6 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.

¹ O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your rage.
² Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
    Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³ I am sick at heart.
    How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

⁴ Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
    Save me because of your unfailing love.
⁵ For the dead do not remember you.
    Who can praise you from the grave?

⁶ I am worn out from sobbing.
    All night I flood my bed with weeping,
    drenching it with my tears.
⁷ My vision is blurred by grief;
    my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

⁸ Go away, all you who do evil,
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord will answer my prayer.
¹⁰ May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
    May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Rather than focusing today on David's problems, I want us to focus on David's method. Clearly, David felt as though he was being disciplined by the Lord. He mentioned being physically weak and also sick at heart. He asked the Lord to return and rescue him indicating he felt abandoned. He also spoke of sobbing all night in grief and of his enemies pursuing him. What do you notice about David even though he is faced with all of these struggles? With whom is David communicating? This is not a letter/email/text to David's friends. It is a song to his Lord. A song to be accompanied by an eight stringed instrument. David was tightly anchored to his Lord and he was not letting go. Look at the end of the Psalm where he began to celebrate. The Lord had heard his weeping and his plea. The Lord would answer his prayer. Notice it doesn't say. "the Lord has answered," but rather that He will.  David was confident his enemies would be disgraced and terrified and turn back in shame. I think we can learn from David, first, that we need to hang on tight to our Lord no matter how dire our circumstances. Second, we should consider, like David, documenting our communication with the Lord for one day it will become our song of testimony. Finally, we need to rest in the assurance that God hears our prayers. Our Lord is working for His glory and for our good!