Psalm
6:1-3 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am
languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is
greatly troubled. But you, O Lord — how long?
A psalm of
penitence
Severe illness can fall on
any of us at any time. At such times we are vulnerable to attack. Other people
may try to take advantage of us when we are weak. Spiritual forces may causes
us to blame others for no good reason. Here we see that David has found himself
vulnerable toward his enemies because of an illness. Nothing can be done to
confront them as long as he is on his sickbed. God needs to help him. No one
else can help him now.
The physical ills that we
face can impact our soul. Our entire person, soul and body, are impacted by
when we fall ill. The entire person becomes vulnerable to the attacks of
others. Even our spiritual grounding can come under attack at these times. But
like David there is still hope.
The anguish of relief not
yet given by God causes him to cry out for help. Because David has a
relationship with God, he can wrestle with God to find relief and
understanding. David is convinced that God will help him. He knows that God can
and will rescue him from his circumstances. He calls on God’s love, His very
nature, to implore Him to respond.
David rests upon his understanding
that the Lord has heard his weeping. He knows God hears him. God accepts His
prayer because of the relationship he has already established with his Lord.
God will never leave him nor forsake him. Upon this promise we can all stand
when life brings illness and danger.
