Jenny's Psalm Reflections: Psalm 6 v.2

Today’s verse is Psalm 6 V.2

"Be gracious to me O Lord, for I am languishing."

Background:

This sixth Psalm in some versions of the Bible is described as a prayer for recovery from grave illness. It is a Psalm for moments of grief in our lives. It is counter-cultural in many ways, as we are continually pressed to boast of how well we are, to put positive happy times on social media, to show how well we cope, how rejuvenated we are, and we can even tweak our photos now to prove it! In this psalm, the psalmist is frank, admitting that he is not well, that he is languishing or weak, and it’s ok to be able to say these things. It’s sometimes called a psalm of lament and it enables us to realise that we can cry out and rage against the difficult things in life we all face. It can be a relief to know that we can say such things, and bring them to God: our rage, our anger, our loneliness. By the time we get to verse 8 though, the psalmist acknowledges that “the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping”. We should never feel ashamed of our weakness, but bring it swiftly to God and ask for his grace. Rest in God’s peace in difficult times.

Meditation

1. Find a quiet place. 

Inside or outside (weather permitting) or even comfortably curled up in bed!  Sit comfortably but alert if you are in a sitting position– feet flat on the floor, back pushed hard against the back of the chair. Hold a stone or pebble to remind you of God’s presence.

2. Focus on your breathing.

Pay attention to in-breaths and out-breaths. You may think of breathing in God’s life and peace and breathing out any tension.

3. Be aware of your body.

Let your aches and pains be there. Rest your hands in your lap ; you don’t need to be doing anything with them now. Rest your feet on the floor; you don’t need to go anywhere. Shrug your shoulders, ease your neck. Take time to become still…

4. Say the verses aloud to yourself.

Don’t try to analyse it. Read it again slowly, listening.

5. Think ABOUT THE VERSES.

Sit quietly and see whether anything about it strikes you as important for you. Tell God what it is. Ask God for what you need. Make a note of anything you want to remember.

6. Finish with this prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, may the tears shed in your earthly life be balm for all who weep, and may the prayers of your pilgrimage give strength to all who suffer; for your mercy’s sake.