#684 Uncomfortable Silence

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?


4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will 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 eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows 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 plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. Psalm 6 ESV

A song to be played upon string and not just any instrument, but the 8 string harp.
Discipline me in Your wrath - It does not say on which occasion David wrote this, but he was known famously for Bathsheba, for lying, conspiring to deceive Uriah, and then murder. He also took many wives, was unequally yoked and a father who preferred to be a companion or "friend" rather than a parent. He is the king, but there is still One greater, and so that One, the Creator, God, will not fail to discipline His own. It says, whom the Lord loveth, He chaseneth. There is not a rock in the river that is left unshaped. 

I am languishing - Other versions will say weak, and this is good recognition on the part of the poet. He is not foolish enough to come and ask for grace based upon his merit. His merit is what brought him to this place, our free will is what chooses our detriment, not what saves us. We need to no better than to ask upon our works, for they are as filthy rags, rather ask for mercy undeserved, that is an honest request, "Lord have pity upon me, for I fail to progress in my own strength. I am weak and feel it down to the marrow, shaken physically and spiritually, I can do nothing but plead." We may ask our heavenly Father for what we do not deserve, and we may also ask for comfort while He is conforming us to the image of Christ. 

For the sake of Your steadfast love - Not because of the things I have done, but for Your own glory and honor, that You loved me in the most powerful of ways. Save me because I am Your child, I belong to You. Let me live that I may praise You.

I flood my bed with tears - Remember Christ in the garden, the tears of blood, anxiety over the coming separation, the moment when His Father's back will be turned, the hours when His wrath will be upon Him. He would be chastened not for the sake of His sin, for He knew none, but for mine and yours. David is crying over physical pain, anguish, the state of being separated from God due to walking a path that God does not honor. We should suspect to grieve over sickness, pain, loss, but if ever we would make the connection to grieve the sin that got us here. Praise God, dear David, that He has not left you without the correction of a son.

The Lord accepts my prayer - Most do not prepare to pray, do not pray, or consider it a bother that must happen quickly, be gotten through. Others, like David, find times when it is revealed to them that there is no other place to go. They wrestle in prayer, cry in prayer, groan, and they are shone a most glorious light in prayer, a peace that does not match the circumstances. 

Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.…Philippians 4: 5-7