Psalm 6 I call this Psalm “The Prayer of a Man in Despair.”   We read of his despair in verses 2 & 3, 6 & 7.  Soon after reading this psalm I got a text message from a friend who has been suffering for a prolonged period of time.  Yesterday was a procedure which we were hoping would bring some relief.  Instead, it brought more bad news.  I  texted my friend and wrote the words from this psalm, “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?  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…”  Things were bad for David.  (Things are still bad for my friend.  I want to honor their privacy, so I won’t share the name, but would you whisper a prayer for “healing and restoration for pastor’s friend with the prolonged illness and pain.”).  Back to Psalm 6,  if you continue reading the psalm, something happened between verses 7 and 8.  Listen to the change in David’s prayer: “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 prayers.” 

When I was younger the older folks in the church would talk about “praying through.”  The best I can understand the meaning of “praying through” is to keep on praying till you sense in your spirit that God has heard and the answer is on the way.  In Luke 18 Jesus told a parable to his disciples  to teach them to keep on praying and not give up.  He basically told them to “pray until you pray through.”  Lord, give us such persistence in prayer!

Psalm 36

Here’s a contemporary rendition of verses 5 – 7.  Hope you enjoy!

Psalm 66  This psalm is a wonderful song of praise.  Even today, thousands of years later, we can use the words of verses 1 – 9 to speak / sing praises to our God.  They are rich!  But if I could choose only one verse from this psalm, I would choose verse 18, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”  Here we have a timeless principle:  harboring, allowing, “cherishing” sin in our hearts will bring us to problems in our relationship with God.  David knew this.  That’s why we have Psalm 51 followed by Psalm 32.  He confessed his sin, he repented of it and his relationship was restored.  In this psalm he cries out, “But God has listened and heard my voice in prayer.  Praise be to God, Who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!”  If you are “toying” with sin, remember the words of this psalm and act!

Psalm 96  What a psalm of praise this is.  When I was reading it, and scribbling notes for this post, I simply wrote, “!”.  You can praise the LORD with the words of this psalm right now.  Why not go for it?  Right out loud.  Here, I’ll start us off, “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  Sing to the LORD, praise His Name.  Proclaim His salvation day after day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise.  He is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before Him.  Strength and glory are in His sanctuary.” 

Psalm 126 I call this psalm “The psalm of those who had returned home.”  After years of exile and bondage in Babylon the Jewish people were finally back in their beloved Jerusalem!  It seemed like a dream come true!  I love the words of their testimony found in verse 3.  They are my testimony too:

“The LORD has done great things for us, (for me!)

and we are ( I am) filled with joy!”

Amen!  See you in church tomorrow!

Pastor