This week’s Song To Live By is Psalm 6

Tom writes:

What do you do when you are languishing in your faith? Where do you go when your bones are creaking with weariness and you ache with the trouble of trying, and failing, to live in righteousness? Often when I feel this way, I assume that I need to sort myself out before I return to a life of prayer. The more conscious I become of my rebellious spirit; of the weakness of my commitment to remembering God, the more I think God will not be interested in me. Psalm 6 is a testimony to a different truth.

Psalm 6 lovingly, pastorally woos us into seeing those moments as God-given doorways into hope. It bids us to beg God for an end to rebuke and discipline. It urges us to cry for grace, for deliverance, for his life to swallow up our death. And - the incredible truth is - that it absolutely, unflinchingly guarantees us that God will indeed respond in that way. It doesn’t give an “maybes” or “might dos”. It confirms that every single time, for every single person, God hears the sound of weeping, he hears our cries and accepts our prayers.

Psalm 6 is an unadulterated, bold-faced, war-cry celebration of the hope of repentance. It demands that we become repentant people, people who in our worst moments, in our greatest failures don’t turn away from God but turn towards him. The Apostle Paul - the greatest of all sinners - spoke of hitting such a low that he despaired of life itself (2 Cor 1:8-9). Jesus confessed such languishing that begged God for a different cup to drink, while he flooded Gethsemane with his tears. Both showed us the New Testament, Spirit-filled modus operandi of repentance. When you get to the end of yourself; grasp on to the everlasting beginnings of God.

A Prayer

O Lord, I am so weak and so weary. I am troubled by my sin and I cannot face rebuke or wrath from you. I need your grace. Please pour out your grace on me. I urge you to turn to me, to save me in your steadfast love. Breathe into me hope and strength as I choose again the joy and liberation and hope of repentance.