O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage (v. 1, NLT).
Psalm 6 can be titled: Foes, Fears, and Failures.
King David was troubled by his enemies and his fear. To make matters worse, David knew his situation was his fault.
You might want to take this Interruption and frame it on your wall.
It will become a guide in learning to sleep when you have really blown it – really, really blown it. You have ruined a relationship, committed a crime, brought insult to God, and perhaps ended your career.
Yes, King David did all of this in his sin with Bathsheba.
I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears (v. 6, NLT).
Fortunately, while the Bible doesn’t cover up sin, it gives a solution.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed (v. 2, ESV).
The message of scripture is grace or giving us what we don’t deserve, and mercy, or withholding what we do deserve.
Lord, please come back and help me. I don’t deserve it but save me according to your mercy (v. 4, OGV).
All of us will endure a time of failure when everything in our life is in jeopardy. What will you do? One commentator writes about this Psalm …
I’ve learned that sickness and pain either make us better or bitter, and the difference is faith. If we turn to God, pray, remember His promises, and trust Him, we will find His grace sufficient for our needs.
I’ve found this to be true in my walk with Jesus.
There have been five times during my 49 years as a senior pastor when the church went through difficult times. Sometimes I was responsible, and in all five times, I felt it was my fault.
I couldn’t sleep, and when you can’t sleep you get sick emotionally …
I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? (v. 3, NLT)
I learned during those sleepless nights to cry out to God. I still wake up at night, but I’ve begun to welcome this 3 a.m. “wake-up” as a call to prayer.
My reasoning …
I don’t know whether this sleeplessness tonight is an attack, my sin, or the pepperoni pizza I ate for dinner. But I’m going to take the time to pray for everyone that I know who is sick, has offended me, I’ve offended them, or needs to return to the Lord.
Often, I fall back asleep before I finish. Wow, that list is long. Yawn!
Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer (vv. 8-9, NLT).
Foes, fear, and failure – through Jesus, we have salvation, and through our prayers, others will find healing too.