Have you ever been sick and instead of being comforted by other Christians found that they blamed you for your misfortune? That was the situation that Job found himself in as his three friends accused him. Eliphaz,“who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same” Job 4:7-8. Bildad, says “See, God will not reject a blameless person nor take the hand of evildoers” Job 8:20. Zophar, says “If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, do not let wickedness reside in your tents. Job 11:14-15. Some friends!
In Psalm 6 David finds himself in the same situation. There are commonly 2 misconceptions about illness in the Christian Community. 1. We might believe that we are ill because God is punishing us, like Job’s friends believed. Or, 2, because we know that God is sovereign we think that we should praise God for our suffering. As the Holy Spirit reveals to us through David, both positions are shortsighted.
| Psalm 6 (NIV)
A psalm of David. For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. |
A Prayer For Healing |
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1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger |
1. A Cry of Anguish: Amazingly, finite mortals may speak freely to our Creator begging for mercy. |
| 2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. |
Mercy: undeserved but freely given on request
How has illness affected David? A. Deep physical agony and accompanying… |
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3 My soul is in deep anguish. |
B. Spiritual anguish exceeding words … How long, Lord, how long? |
| 4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. |
2. A Prayer for Deliverance from Misery: David feels abandoned and pleads, return, save me! |
| 5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? |
His argument to God. While I’m alive I can tell everyone on earth about you and your salvation so have mercy and save me. |
| 6 I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. |
How does he describe his illness? Physical pain, insomnia, mental anguish, and weakness. |
| 7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. |
And making matters worse, foes, like Job’s friends accuse him of unfaithfulness. |
| 8 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. |
3. Confidence from Prayer: Faith and confidence overcame despair. |
| 9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. |
As David began praying God seemed far off. |
| 10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. |
Now he knows that God is with him and accepts his prayer. |
When we pray we can be confident, as was David, “The Lord has heard”, past tense, done deal. And we can be confident that “the Lord will accept”, future tense, our prayers in the future. In other words, no matter what the circumstances, even when we can’t see beyond our physical pain and mental anguish, and no matter what those around us are saying, we can know that God is with us.
Notice an interesting contrast. When David began praying he was disturbed and his friends who had become his foes with bad advise were confident. As the prayer ends David is confident in God and it is his friends who are disturbed, “put to shame.”
By Richard Loper