Transcript:
Hi! Welcome to episode four of Psalms for Troubled Times. Today, I’m going to be looking at Psalm 6. If you don’t know me, my name is Annette Bell, and I’m the host of Overcoming the Tribulation, which is focused on preparing our hearts for the return of Christ. If you’ve not subscribed, I invite you to hit the subscribe button. And also, if you click the bell, you’ll get a notification when I post a new video. All right, I’ll read it.
Psalm 6
“Psalm 6. For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint. O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers You when he is dead. Who praises You from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes are weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”
A Cry for Help
Psalm 6 is intense. David was obviously going through a really hard time when he wrote this. The first thing I noticed is David’s prayers for himself. “Do not rebuke me in Your anger.” “Do not discipline me in Your wrath.” “Be merciful to me.” “Heal me.” “Turn.” “Deliver me.” “Save me.”
Because of All of My Foes
The second thing I notice is how David feels. He doesn’t mask his feelings or sugarcoat them. These things are intense. He says he’s faint. His bones are in agony. He’s worn out from groaning. All night he’s been crying. His eyes are weak from sorrow, and his eyes fail. By this point, we may wonder if David is wasting away from some kind of disease, maybe he has bone cancer or something of that sort, but then he gives us a little more information and he says that he has many foes.
The LORD Has Heard Me
And now the turning point. David declares, away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard me; the LORD has accepted my prayers. He says this about his enemies: “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed. They will turn back in sudden disgrace.”
There are examples from David’s life where God did exactly that with respect to David’s enemies. I think about 1 Samuel 23. Check this out! Starting in verse 13.
“So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the desert of Ziph. Day after day, Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, ‘Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king.’ Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the desert of Maon in pursuit of David. Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.’ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines.”
My favorite part of the passage I just read to you is where it says, “Day after day, Saul searched for David, but God did not give him into his hand.” I think this is awesome, because this is the God that we serve. He will not give us into our enemies’ hands unless it is planned by Him for it to happen. So, we can rest secure, knowing that He is guarding us. And David knew that. It was hard, but ultimately he believed that, and God protected him.
I think it’s interesting how Saul was so close to overtaking David and his men before he was suddenly called away. This tested David’s faith, no doubt! And if you’ve been in a situation like this, it will test your faith, too. The LORD’s hands are all through this. He did as David prayed, that his enemies would be ashamed and dismayed and turn back in sudden disgrace. That’s exactly what happened. What an awesome God we serve! If you ever find yourself in a situation like David, where you’re being hunted by your enemies, I pray that this example from his life will encourage you.
The Same God
Moreover, we serve the same God that David did, the same God who kept David secure, even when it looked bleak, can keep you secure if that’s what His plan is. So, I pray that these words would be a blessing to each of our hearts–an encouragement to fear the LORD more, and to fear man less. Thank you for watching my video on Psalm 6. If it was an encouragement to you, would you click the like button or add your comment in the comments section below?
Also, I welcome your shares with other people, if you thought it was helpful. God bless you, and have a great day.
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