I am a couple of days late with this week’s Psalm Sunday entry. I usually do these Sunday evenings after church, but this last Sunday we had a parent-teen fellowship at that time (am I getting old when I cringe at the thought of an activity that’s supposed to last until 9:30? I am usually up until way past that, but I don’t like to be out past that time). Then Monday I was preparing for a ladies’ meeting at church in the evening and got a phone call from school that they thought my son had pink eye and I needed to come and get him. I was afraid of that, but I was hoping that the redness was just due to irritation from a cold and that allergy eye drops would do the trick. After getting him, having lunch, getting to the doctor’s office, dropping off prescriptions, going to the store for more tissues and a few other things, waiting in the drive-through line at the pharmacy, deciding it was too late to make the quick-and-easy dinner I’d just bought, and making a quick swing by Arby’s, I finally got off to the ladies meeting. I was so glad the Lord led me to prepare for it earlier in the day!

But that is not what this post is about. 🙂

Psalm 6

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Usually I like to go verse by verse though what the passage actually says before talking about what I think it means to me. But I don’t think that’s necessary this time — not because this post is late, but because the Psalm is pretty self-explanatory. David is grieving over sin and asking forgiveness, which he feels confident of having received in the last three verses.

It seems to me that throughout Christian history the pendulum has swung back and forth between an emphasis on how awful sin is and on God’s mercy and readiness to forgive. The two need to be kept in balance. Both are true, but an emphasis on one or the other can lead to distortion. The first can lead people almost to despair of being able to be forgiven, the thought that “my sin is too great for me to take it to God.” The latter can lead to a taking of sin lightly and almost thoughtless or perfunctory asking of forgiveness. But taking these two truths together, in balance, we see the magnitude and awfulness of our sin, God’s “hot displeasure” (v. 1), grieve over it as David did — and as New Testament believers we know what sin cost — the lifeblood of the Son of God, and we should never take it lightly; but we also see the great grace of our God in providing a means whereby we can be forgiven, we see the tender gaze of a Father who is slow to anger and ready to forgive and restore fellowship when we come to Him in repentance.

Something else that struck me is that David not only has confidence that God has heard and answered his prayer, but now he can face his enemies in confidence as well. When we’re burdened down with the weight of sin, we’re defeated in other areas as well, but when we have confidence that all is right between ourselves and God, that gives us renewed confidence and vigor in other areas. too.

You can read more meditations on this Psalm or share your own at Butterfly Kisses.