Psalms 6:1-10: a reflection

1LORD, don’t rebuke me in your anger, neither discipline me in your wrath. 2Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint. LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3My soul is also in great anguish. But you, LORD—how long? 4Return, LORD. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness’ sake. 5For in death there is no memory of you. In Sheol, who shall give you thanks? 6I am weary with my groaning. Every night I flood my bed. I drench my couch with my tears. 7My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries. 8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. 9The LORD has heard my supplication. The LORD accepts my prayer. 10May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed. They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.

This psalm begins in deep anguish: the psalmist is faint, his bones troubled, his soul in great anguish; he floods his bed with tears, weary with groaning, crying, how long? He pours out his grief and pain to God without restraint. But then, near the end, the tone shifts to confidence: The LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication. The LORD accepts my prayer. Having poured out his anguish and tears, the psalmist gains the assurance that God has heard him; his grief, brought to God, is met with the confidence that God has heard his weeping. From anguish and tears he moves to the assurance that God has heard.

Notice the movement in the psalm: from anguish and tears to the assurance that God has heard. The psalmist does not stay only in his grief; having poured it out to God, weeping, groaning, crying how long, he comes to a settled confidence: the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The pouring out of his anguish to God led not to deeper despair but to assurance; God had heard his weeping, accepted his prayer. The tears he shed were not unheard; God had heard the voice of his weeping. Bringing his grief honestly to God, the psalmist gained the confidence that God had heard him. The weeping brought to God was met with the assurance that God had heard.

That is worth taking to heart, for when we pour out our grief and tears to God, we can gain the assurance that he hears our weeping. When we are in anguish, we can pour out our grief and tears to God without restraint, as the psalmist did; and rather than sinking deeper into despair, we can come, as he did, to the assurance that God has heard the voice of our weeping. Our tears, brought to God, are not unheard; he hears the voice of our weeping. When you pour out your grief and tears to God, do not stay only in the anguish; God hears the voice of your weeping, as the psalmist came to know. Pour out your grief and tears to God, and gain the assurance that he hears the voice of your weeping, as the psalmist moved from anguish and tears to the confidence that the LORD had heard his weeping; for God hears the voice of our weeping, and when we bring our grief honestly to him, we can come to the assurance that he has heard, moving from anguish to confidence in the God who hears our tears.

Lord, this psalm begins in deep anguish: the psalmist is faint, his bones troubled, his soul in great anguish; he floods his bed with tears, weary with groaning, crying, how long? He pours out his grief and pain to you without restraint. But then, near the end, the tone shifts to confidence: the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping; the LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer. Having poured out his anguish and tears, the psalmist gains the assurance that you have heard him. Show me the movement in the psalm: from anguish and tears to the assurance that you have heard. The psalmist does not stay only in his grief; having poured it out to you, weeping, groaning, crying how long, he comes to a settled confidence: the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The pouring out of his anguish to you led not to deeper despair but to assurance; you had heard his weeping, accepted his prayer. The tears he shed were not unheard. Bringing his grief honestly to you, the psalmist gained the confidence that you had heard him. Take that to my heart, for when I pour out my grief and tears to you, I can gain the assurance that you hear my weeping. When I am in anguish, I can pour out my grief and tears to you without restraint, as the psalmist did; and rather than sinking deeper into despair, I can come, as he did, to the assurance that you have heard the voice of my weeping. My tears, brought to you, are not unheard. When I pour out my grief and tears to you, keep me from staying only in the anguish; you hear the voice of my weeping, Lord, as the psalmist came to know. Help me pour out my grief to you and gain the assurance that you hear my weeping.