He Hears You - Your Daily Forward Devotional

He Hears You

April 9

Read Psalm 6:6-9 (ESV)

I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.

Reflect

Are you in a season that feels heavy or overwhelming? Who are you turning to for help?

Sometimes there is a perception in the church that if we truly love God and have enough faith, we’ll never be sad, lonely, anxious, or depressed. But when we go back to the Bible, we see people of great faith and trust in God who went through seasons of deep pain, darkness, and despair.

In today’s verses, King David is pouring out his heart to God in anguish. If you read all of Psalm 6, David sounds hopeless and helpless. In verses 2 and 3, he says that he is “languishing” and his “soul is greatly troubled.” His inner turmoil must have been impacting his sleep because he spent nights weeping and he was exhausted from his suffering.

We don’t know the exact cause of David’s anguish. He does mention foes and wicked people. David did have some serious enemies over the course of life who were trying to kill him or take his throne including his father-in-law, King Saul and his own son, Absalom! Imagine the deep pain caused by the betrayal of family!

But the beginning of Psalm 6 gives us a clue that the source of David’s problems in this case were actually a result of his own sin. In verses 1-2, David wrote: “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD…” The early church fathers considered Psalm 6 to be a “penitential psalm” meaning that the author of the psalm is lamenting their own sin and seeking God’s forgiveness.

Can you relate to David here? Has your guilt and grief over your sin ever made you feel physically and emotionally sick? It has happened to me. In those moments, I follow King David’s example. I confess my sin to God and acknowledge my need for forgiveness. When I cry out to God, I am honest about my sin and transparent about how my sin has impacted me and those I have sinned against. Like David, I express my deep remorse and ask God for His grace and mercy.

One thing we can all glean from King David’s example here is his confidence that God has heard Him and accepted His prayer (v. 9). He knows that if he cries out to God for forgiveness, God is faithful to do just that.

The apostle John assured us of the same thing in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Friends, we all go through times of sorrow, pain, and inner turmoil. Sometimes it’s because of external factors in our lives. Other times, it is because of our own sin and guilt. Regardless of the cause of our suffering, we can know for sure that God hears us when we cry out to Him. In your anguish, who are you turning to?

Pray

Lord, thank You for always listening to my prayers. I know that when I am suffering, I can cry out to You for help. I can cast all of my cares upon You because You care for me (1 Peter 5:7) and I can be confident that when I confess and repent of my sins You are faithful to forgive and give my soul peace. Great is Your mercy, grace, love and faithfulness. Amen.

~ Pastor Nat Crawford

If you found value in this post, please share your comments, questions, and prayers with us!