We’ve sung this song by Matt Redman called "Blessed Be Your Name." The first verse says,
Blessed Be Your Name, in the land that is plentiful, where Your streams of abundance flow. Blessed be Your name.
The 2nd verse starts out: Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me, when the world's 'all as it should be.' Blessed be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise!
But there are other lines in that song too – lines that deal with real life:
Blessed Be Your name when I'm found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering. Though there's pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name
I like the honesty and validity of that song. When everything in life is as it should be, prayer is easy. It tends to be vague and general. It rolls out of our mouths, and it doesn’t even have to come from very deep inside. You know the prayer – the one you don’t really think about, but you’re supposed to pray out loud so you end up saying something like, “God, thank You for this day and thank You for everything.” Really? It’s like tossing a hand grenade. It’s so unspecific, you’re bound to hit something!
But then there are prayers like the one where you say, “God, whatever it takes to change my loved one’s life, do it.” There are prayers in the hard times. Those prayers are different.
Prayer in the hard times is more like an arrow shot straight for the mark. We tend to get very specific. We tend to speak more from our hearts. Once Carrie and I lost a baby boy mid-term, my prayers got a lot more specific the next time she was pregnant. And now that I’m going to be grandpa, and my daughter’s carrying twins, you can bet I’m praying some very specific prayers. Those specific prayers are like many of the Psalms that we read.
Psalm 6 is a prayer that David fired off that’s more like an arrow. It was obviously during a hard time in his life:
Psalm 6
O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 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? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
At first glance, David may just sound like someone who’s going through a devastating hardship in life. “Well, forget Psalm 6! This isn’t a happy Psalm! I want something a little more upbeat – something that isn’t written in a minor key! Let’s read something David wrote when life was peachy!”
But I want us to see there’s something for us to do in regards to praying in the hard times of life – something besides just ignoring them. In other words, I want us to get more skilled at praying when it hurts. This Psalm can help us with that. First, it will help us to…
I. Get In Touch With the Reason for Sorrow
Why does David ask God to turn to him? (v4) Where has God gone? Why is David’s couch soaked with tears? Was he a Seahawks fan? No. Instead, look again at v.1: “O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.” Rebuke…discipline. David recognized that part of the problem in his life was his own sin. The fact is much of the sorrow we’re faced with in life is our own doing.
(1. Our Own Sin)
Look at the faces of inmates down a row of prison cells and understand that our own wrong choices can bring us sorrow. It can bring us sorrow because we don’t like the consequences: We don’t like traffic tickets, stitches, or being grounded. Those things happen to us, we suffer through them, and if we’ll be honest with ourselves, they happen because we chose to do what was wrong.
1 Peter 4:15
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
That’s not the only reason our sin makes us sorry. There’s a very real form of suffering called guilt that David seems to speak of in this Psalm. Most of us are familiar with that.
Dogs have a way of looking guilty. Now, scientists tell us that they don’t really “feel guilty.” They just put on that face because it has a tendency to stop the yelling when you find out what they did.
We don’t like it, but the feeling of guilt is actually a good thing, if you’re a guilty person. It’s like the light on the car dashboard that comes on when there’s a problem.
Ill - A friend of my sister-in-law once drove up in her Ford Fairmont. She had been on the road about 3 hours. She said that it was making some funny noises, and that the oil light on her dashboard was on. My brother and I checked the oil level…and then proceeded to add 4 quarts of oil to her engine! (It held only 4½!)
Now, that red light on the dashboard may have been annoying – maybe even distressing – but it has a purpose. It indicates that there’s a problem. Driving on down the road without addressing the problem could damage the car. Guilt is that way. That stressful feeling that you get when you lie, that nervous feeling you get when you see someone you’ve mistreated, that uneasiness that sweeps over you when you cheat someone – that feeling is guilt, and it’s a warning light that you have a problem. Something needs to be fixed. The answer isn’t to ignore it or run from it. You need to get in touch with the reason for your sorrow and deal with the reason.
Guilty feelings shouldn’t be wasted! They’re supposed to send us to God. The way we get rid of them is for Him to take away our guilt, so that we don’t have to feel guilty anymore!
I love the passage in II Co. 7 where Paul talks about some of the strong words in a previous letter he wrote to them. Make a note that Paul didn’t say that God wants you happy. In fact, he says the opposite .
When you’re feeling sorrow, consider if you’re the reason for it. If so, you have some changing to do. There’s another source of sorrow, though, and we don’t control it. It’s…
2. Other Peoples’ Sin
In v.7 David says, “My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.” Life has always had its share of sorrow caused by other people. Someone steals your purse, you suffer because of their theft. Someone bullies you at school, you suffer because of their meanness. Someone says something mean to you, you suffer because of their words. Someone treats you rudely, you suffer because of their selfishness. There are definitely times when our sorrow is caused by someone else’s sin. Even diseases and natural disasters and death itself are a part of a creation that has been tainted by Adam and Eve’s sin – just because they beat me to it. But even in the middle of that unfair suffering that you didn’t cause, God is doing something with you. Hebrews 12 says
Hebrews 12:4-11
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons…God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Do you realize that when you suffer at the hand of someone else’s sin it’s an opportunity for God to grow you and mature you? When we get in touch with the reason for sorrow in our life, we’re better equipped to handle it. David’s Psalm here is an open study of the source of our sorrows. It’s also a way that we can…
II. Restudy the Reasons We Can Ask for Help
From a very young age, our parents teach us that if you’re ever lost or in trouble, and you find a policeman, you can go to him for help. He will be a safe person, and he’s there to help you. By the way, parents, I’m glad that’s still a good thing you can teach your children.
We can ask for help when someone is there to help us. If I go to visit my doctor at his office, and I look at his medical school diploma on the wall, that’s a sign to me that he’s someone who can help me with medical issues.
I find 3 reasons in this Psalm that reassure us that we can ask for God’s help in hard times. The first one has to do with ourselves, and then the next 2 have to do with something that’s true about God.
Do you want to be able to ask God for help? Then come to Him with…
1. A right heart
When David writes Psalm 6, he’s not only acknowledging that he needs help from God, he’s also acknowledging that he needs forgiveness and mercy from God.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Being sorry for our sin – to the point where it causes us to mourn, is one of the first prerequisites for asking God for His help. If you’re heart isn’t right in this matter, if you think you can ask God to help you feel better without ever wanting Him to change you, you’ve neglected the first reason you can ask God for help.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
If you can’t have genuine regret for your sin against God, then you have no place to ask Him to help you with it. I wonder how often we’ve failed to ask God’s help because, deep inside, we’re unwilling to deal with something in our lives that we know shouldn’t be there. Satan somehow convinces us to hang onto it, and the result is we forfeit God’s help because we know we can’t ask for it. Let it go! Get rid of it. Bring a heart to God that’s ready to be whatever He wants you to be, and you’ll find that you can ask Him for the help you need. That one is up to us.
2. God’s mercy
David was very open with God about his sin and his littleness. He said,
Psalm 51:4
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
So often we get frustrated that there isn’t more justice on the earth. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to plead with God for justice for me. What we need to appeal to is God’s mercy. We need to be thanking Him daily that He has not dealt with us according to our sins. I can tell you, there’s a whole lot more peace to be found in appealing to God’s mercy than trying to convince Him that He owes me better than what I’m getting!
James 2:13b Mercy triumphs over judgment!
That’s a triumph I’d like to have.
(3. God’s glory)
A 3rd reason we can ask for God’s help is His glory. Actually, the basis for all true requests that we make to God is His glory. That’s the point of v5 “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?” In other words, “Lord, if I’m killed off, there will be one less person on earth to bring you glory.” Someone put it this way, “Churchyards are silent places; the vaults of the sepulcher echo not with songs; Damp earth covers dumb mouths.”
Even though he was asking God for help, David realized that the reason he could do that was because he was seeking God’s glory. Think about that the next time you want to ask God for something. James said,
James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Our lives need to be lived to bring glory to God. You are not your own, you were bought with a price. The reason for all true prayer is ultimately to bring God glory.
You can ask for help. If you need some reassurance of that, Psalm 6 is a prayer of David, a man who had messed up, asking God for help! Does he get it? …
III. Look at the Difference Prayer Makes
David’s struggling through. He realizes his own failings. His enemies are pressing in. He realizes he’s going to need to throw himself on God’s mercy, that there are some reasons he’s even able to do this at all. David has been praying honestly before God. Suddenly, in v.8, there’s a change:
Psalm 6:8-10
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. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.
(1. Real repentance)
One of the ways you can tell if someone has truly changed from his former way of life is by the changed attitude he has toward sin. In fact, that’s the main change in the life of anyone who accepts Jesus – your whole attitude toward sin. Someone who has repented of sin may still stumble, but that person will hate the sins that cost His Savior’s blood.
It will make you want to say, “Away from me, all you who do evil! Get it away from me!” Like Jesus, we have to cleanse the temple! We have to throw out the money changers! Look at the difference that prayer makes here in David’s words!
(2. Genuine Tears)
v.8 says the Lord has heard my weeping. It literally says, “the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.”
In other cultures, even though the language is quite different from English, there are some things that are universal. One is the word, “Hey!” Another is a smile. That’s the same everywhere. Another one is tears. When you look into the eyes of someone who’s deeply suffering, there’s no need for an interpreter. Tears mean the same in every language. David knew that his tears were something God understood.
Psalm 56:8 Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll…
Too often we’re taught to hide our tears – especially if you’re a man. Tears are an admission. Tears mean weakness. Tears mean dependence.
I want to tell you, the manliest of men ever to live cried real tears. And if we’re engaging in real, effective prayer, it’s going to involve some tears sometimes. God isn’t turned off by that. “…the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer…” Genuine tears are a part of the picture here. And so is the last part!
3. The outcome is triumphant life!
Story - A.D. 155, and the persecution against Christians came to the city of Smyrna. The Roman proconsul of Symrna put out an order that a leader of the Church of Symrna, Polycarp, was to be found, arrested, and brought to the public arena to be executed. They found Polycarp and brought him to the arena where thousands of spectators were screaming for blood. But the proconsul had pity on this man who was over 80 years old. He signaled the crowd to be quiet. He said to Polycarp, "Curse the Christ and live."
The crowd waited for the old man to answer. In an amazingly strong voice, he said, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong. How dare I blaspheme the name of my King and Lord!"
What power! Courage! Resolve! How could he do it? When our sins are removed, our enemies are powerless! And where does the difference come in? “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. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.
(The message:) Cowards, my enemies disappear. Disgraced, they turn tail and run.
You see, we don’t have to live our lives in the clutches of our enemy.
Conclusion:
Ill - A little boy was visiting his grandparents and they gave him his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he saw her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. After all, he hadn’t hit anything all day. Of course, the stone hit, and the duck fell dead. He panicked. Desperately he ran over, picked up the dead duck and hid it in the wood pile. Just then, he looked up to see his sister watching. Sally had seen the whole thing, but she said nothing. After lunch that day, their Grandma said, "Sally, let’s wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Pete told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Pete?" And then she leaned over and whispered to him, "Remember the duck!" So Pete did the dishes. Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, "I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally smiled and said, "That’s all taken care of. Pete wants to do it." Again she whispered, "Remember the duck." Pete stayed and helped while Sally went fishing. For several days, Sally’s chores would come up, and she’d say that Pete had volunteered to do them. If he ever acted like he was going to protest, Sally would just whisper to him, “Remember the duck.” After several days of doing his chores and Sally’s he couldn’t stand it anymore. He went to his grandma and confessed that he’d killed the duck. She gave him a hug and said, "I know, Pete. I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I just wondered how long you were going to let Sally make a slave of you."
That’s exactly what Satan has done to way too many people. He’s got them over a barrel, and they’re just too afraid to admit it. We don’t have to live our lives in the clutches of the enemy.
Turn to God. That’s exactly what He’s waiting for you to do. If you’re facing hard times, turn to God.
