Good morning y’all. Today we looking at Psalms 6. I got one of my good friends to write today’s blog. I pray you are blessed 🙂

Psalm 6: Helplessness, Deliverance and Confidence by  Kenoye Muzan

This Psalm of David may be divided into 3 sections:
1. Verses 1 to 3: A plea for mercy in helplessness.
2. Verses 4 to 7: The need for deliverance.
3. Verses 8 to 10: Regain of confidence.

A.  In the first section, we read of a man expressing a state of heart and mind, which most of us helplessly express sometimes. I said, ‘sometimes’ because it’s not often that we are humbled by the realisation of our helpless state as humans in a world where we are NEVER in control of anything.

We are buffeted by cravings we would love to indulge in – but for the grace of God – cannot; there is a constant war in our minds, and the contenders are your faith versus the wisdom of this world; and, of course, there is the necessity to obey and do tasks that we know we cannot do due to their limited knowledge, time, strength or even faith.

However, it may seem like all these going through our minds is not enough, and we add the regret/pain/disgust that comes from disobeying against God… now, that – I believe – places us in the most helpless situation a person can find themselves: a place of disconnection from their God; a place of potential spiritual loneliness (away from their Comforter); a place of insecurity; a place of exposure to the attacks of the enemy; and a place punishment from the One who has no other above Him.

Now, with all you have read so far, please chew on it while you read verses 1 to 3 again. This could give you a better focus on what David was feeling and trying to express. He acknowledges that the Lord CAN rebuke him in His anger; he acknowledges the position of God in his life as both a strict Judge and merciful Lord; and more importantly, Healer and Comforter. In other words, he could have said, ‘I know I deserve the wrong end of the stick from you, but I still require your mercy greatly because of my weak state and need for healing from You. I am humbled because in as much as I deserve chastening, I also desire Your embrace’.

May the Lord pick us up whenever we find ourselves in such a lowly state, in Jesus name. Amen.

B. In this section (verses 4 to 7), we read of a man – who had expressed his need for mercy even in punishment-worthy circumstances – express his need and desire for deliverance. He speaks of reasons why he expects the Lord to attend to him: the Lord’s unfailing love; the need for him to continue in the purpose of his creation, that is, to praise God; and his need to get out of his state of sorrow and mourning.

If we remember the teaching of Jesus on the mount (recorded in Matthew 5:4: ‘Blesséd are those who mourn for they will be comforted’), then we know that being ‘poor-in-spirit’ and ‘mournful’ (both speaking of an inward state, and not an outward appearance) positions us where the Lord’s blessing and comfort can reach us. I believe that many of us have been in need of God’s deliverance in the past, or maybe presently, however if I may ask, what is/was your state of mind? Did you desire deliverance because you felt you justified by your works? Did you expect deliverance out of regret rather than humility?

David doesn’t speak of his wrong-doing. He focuses on the love of God, which the Lord had established as being unfailing/reliable/unending/everlasting. He also focuses on the need for him to get back to the important task of his life: praising God. The bible says, ‘… the Lord inhabits the praise of Israel’, so I ask myself this: ‘If the Lord is present in His praises, then why not praise Him so that His presence may envelope me?’. Furthermore, David still wrote that, ‘… in Your presence there is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures evermore…’, and that is where he wants to be; and that is how his emotional state (as expressed in verses 6 and 7) can be turn around.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn not to run away from God (no matter what we have done wrong) but run to Him for correction and assurance, and even restoration. I pray the Lord gives us all a deeper understanding of what He showed to David, in Jesus name.

C. The last section (verses 8 to 10), speaks of the regaining of confidence in ‘right-standing’ before God. I mean, that confidence that can cause an initially beaten man to boldly rise up from the ashes of his low estate. I’m also talking about that confidence a bullied child gains when a stronger ally comes to their rescue and threatens the bullies so fiercely that the child is certain he/she will never be bullied again: that’s the kind of boldness I’m talk about. The type that even allows you to give out a warning call to all detractors and persecutors; and such boldness can only come from the knowledge and assurance of one’s salvation, redemption, restoration and deliverance.

So, ‘why did David express such confidence?’, you might ask. Well, the answers begin and end in verse 9:

‘The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.’

Simply put, mercy has been given despite his initial helpless state; and requests have been granted.

Do we genuinely seek the Lord’s mercy without doubting His unfailing love and ability not to turn away those who are truly repentant?

Do we look to only Him to justify and deliver us despite the nature and number of attacks we endure through our journey?

Do we judge ourselves as unworthy of His mercy and so run away FROM Him when we should be running TO Him, acknowledging that He alone can make us right-standing again?

Do we discard the purpose for which He has called us because we are going through trials and battling our weaknesses?

I am reminded of two verses, which I pray the Lord will encourage us with:

1. 1Cor 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)

2. 2Cor 12:6-10: Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV)

May the Lord hear our cry for help and restoration in Jesus name. Amen‎

Thanks for joining today.

Have a blessed day 🙂

***With God all things are possible***