...turn to the Lord...

“1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,    

or discipline me in your wrath. 

2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;    

O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. 

3 My soul also is struck with terror,    

while you, O Lord—how long? 

4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;    

deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. 

5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;    

in Sheol who can give you praise?

6 I am weary with my moaning;    

every night I flood my bed with tears;    

I drench my couch with my weeping. 

7 My eyes waste away because of grief;    

they grow weak because of all my foes. 

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,    

for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 

9 The Lord has heard my supplication;    

the Lord accepts my prayer. 

10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;    

they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame” Psalm 6.

This is a Penitential Psalm, and there are six (6) other Penitential Psalms in the Psalter: Psalms 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. In the early church early Christians were fond of singing and reading these psalms on Ash Wednesday as part of their penance for sin. This particular Psalm resembles a Lament, as there is no confession of sin or prayer for forgiveness. And yet, in the background we can feel sorrow for individual sin and confession of sin. Sin is why the Psalmist is begging the Lord “do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in Your wrath” verse 1. The Psalmist is praying that the Lord “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror” verse 2. Throughout the Psalm the psalmist is crying out because of personal suffering so intense that she/he may collapse. the Psalmist prays that God may heal and no longer be angry. Listen to verse 4: “Turn, O Lord, save my life; deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.”

But the Psalmist seems at the end in verses 8-10 to blame others for her/his grief, as blame is placed on “you workers of evil” and “all my enemies…who need to turn back…and be put to shame” verses 9 & 10. We all need to be careful that we don’t do the same thing. It is easy to blame others for our sinful choices, or even to blame God. But our language of personal suffering is often a metaphor for feeling abandoned by God, and so we sometimes blame others. Indeed, God is often quiet or silent. But in verse 9 the lord hears the psalmist and accepts the Psalmist’s prayer. We all need to hear this: The Lord has come to the rescue of his servants. He has heard His child crying for favor.

So today, consider the blessings of the Lord. Pray for help in the morning. And lean on God grace throughout your day to make it through, hand-in-hand with the Lord. And give thanks when you are faithful in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, until death.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.

From the Bible:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me” John 14:1.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.