Psalm 6

This psalm is one to read when you have failed God, but you are eager to turn back to Him for mercy and healing.

"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?" (Ps. 6:2-3). There are seasons in our lives that seem to be neverending. We want to know how long they will last. Our responsibility in these times is to lean on God wholely and ask Him to use the circumstance to work good.

"My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes" (Ps. 6:7). When I first read this verse, I imagine David's eyes are weak because he has been weeping. (See verse 6.) I don't really pay attention to the second part of the verse. But upon reading it again, I see a common frailty in humankind. We feel surrounded by evil, by the pressures of the world, so much that our vision begins to deteriorate. The solution is to get our vision checked every day. My suggestion is to make it part of your morning routine. For those of you that wear contacts or glasses, ask God to correct your spiritual vision as you are correcting your physical vision. We know that we can't make it through the day if we can't see. So why do we tolerate spiritual blindness?

I love David's response to his tendency to submit to evil powers. He tells them to go away because God's on his side! "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" (Ps. 6:8-9). While David may have been speaking specifically about other human beings, we can stretch the application further. We do need to accept responsibility for our actions. But we must also be aware of our surroundings. God tells us to shun evil. Jesus Himself told Satan, "'Away from me, Satan!'" (Matthew 4:10a). And you know what? Satan then left Him, and angels came to minister to Him (Matt. 4:11). If we are to follow Jesus' example, doesn't it make sense to tell Satan to leave you alone when you are thinking bad thoughts about someone, feeling depressed, or being tempted to act in ways you know are destructive? I have used this strategy, and I've never felt so empowered as a child of God as when I'm telling Satan what not to do and where to go. We have access to God's power because we belong to God.

I pray that today you may experience the power that God provides His children as you face struggles with the assurance that you are His child.