December 9, 2008 Psalm 6

A Prayer for Mercy in Troubled Times
"Lord, don't correct me when you are angry; don't punish me when you are very angry. Lord have mercy on me because I am weak. Heal me, Lord, because my bones ache. I am very upset. Lord, how long will it be? Lord, return and save me; save me because of your kindness. Dead people don't remember you; those in the grave don't praise you. I am tired of crying to you. Every night my bed is wet with tears; my bed is soaked from my crying. My eyes are weak from so much crying; they are weak from crying about my enemies. Get away from me, all you who do evil, because the Lord has heard my crying. The Lord has heard my cry for help; the Lord will answer my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and troubled. They will turn and suddenly leave in shame. -Psalm 6-

This passage is a song of confession and humility from David to the Lord with stringed instruments upon sheminith.

In this passage, David cries out to God through his pain and suffering, that God will hear him and show him mercy. Through his guilty conscious for whatever sin he may have done, David feels as if he's being rebuked by God, so he asks for mercy. In the previous chapters, David was able to sleep well in peace because he was happy that God was there to listen and to protect him. In this chapter, David feels as if God wasn't there anymore...he feels as if God is angry with him. This is why he explains his misery through tears...sleeplessness at night because he's up crying on his bed.

In the end of the passage, David ends with confidence that God is there with him once again, "The Lord has heard my cry for help; the Lord will answer my prayer." Through David's tears, God was able to see the passion in his heart for the seeking of God's mercy. It's not the emotions that God looks for, but the passion, the burning desire. God was able to see that David really meant what he was crying about.