Psalm
6 reminds me of one of those times AFTER we have messed up. We have
all said something we wish we could take back, or worse, done
something we are ashamed about. Many times those actions cause pain
to the people we love. In this psalm, David describes the feeling of
deep inner remorse. He knows he has sinned and he wants restoration.
David rightly begins by seeking God first. “O
Lord,
do
not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath“.
He adds, “Be
merciful to me, Lord…
heal me, for my bones are in agony“.
There is so much wrong teaching today about parenting and
discipline. In my mind discipline is necessary every time there is a
willful act of disobedience. Biblically, any father that does not
correct his child is considered negligent. Hebrews 12:7 asks, “For
what son is not disciplined by his father?“.
Hebrews 12:11 also give prospective that we often miss in the midst
of correction. “No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those
who have been trained by it“.
David described his time this way, “My
soul is in anguish“.
It is not enough just to feel bad, restoration requires change.
The
psalm closes with David moving forward after the pain. He says,
“Lord…
deliver
me; save me because of your unfailing love“.
He considers his situation, “I
am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears… My eyes grow weak with sorrow“.
And David seems to get his second wind, “Away
from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping… my
cry for mercy“.
He declares with confidence, “the
Lord accepts my prayer“.
Have you asked God for His forgiveness? Have you experienced His
acceptance? Understand this is God’s desire for you too. Jesus
paid the price for you sin on the Cross. Every sin was nailed there
with Him. The willing sacrifice of Christ paid the penalty. All
that is required by us is to believe that promise personally. This
is where healing begins.
Psalm
7 sings of victory. David has recognized his place, “O
Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all
who pursue me“.
Holding on to anger and bitterness from the past only hinders us
from experiencing today’s Joy. David leaves that to God, “rise
up against the rage of my enemies“.
I believe many of the insecurities and fears of the past only live
in our mind. David’s prayer is for today, “O
righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the
violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure“.
Listen to the confidence of the man that is secure in his
relationship with God, “My
shield is God Most High“.
David is not concerned with his former tormentors, he says, “God
is a righteous judge“.
Frequently those that scheme end up caught up in their own mess,
“The
trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his
own head“.
The psalm ends with David living with an attitude of gratitude. “I
will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will
sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”
This is not a phony joy, but one that flows from the inside. It is
this kind of joy that causes people around us to want to know the
source of our joy. Only peace with God can change tears of regret
into tears of joy.