Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Psalm 6 Devotional

Tears God Has Heard

“The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.”Psalm 6:9 (BSB)

Nothing is hidden in this prayer. David asks the LORD not to discipline him in anger (6:1). His bones ache, his soul is deeply troubled, and he cries out to ask how long this will last (6:2-3). He is worn out from groaning, and every night his bed is soaked with tears (6:6). The psalm offers no explanation for his suffering. It simply lets a hurting person speak plainly to God.

What David leans on is not his own strength but God's character. He asks to be saved because of God's loving devotion (6:4), the faithful love God has bound himself to. Then, with no change in his circumstances described, the tone shifts. The LORD has heard his weeping and accepted his prayer (6:8-9). His tears were not poured out into an empty room. This psalm does not promise the pain will be gone by morning, but it shows that honest grief, brought to God, is heard. You do not have to tidy up your sorrow before you bring it to him.

To think about: What sorrow have you held back from God because it felt too raw to pray, and could you bring it to him just as it is?

About Psalm 6: A Prayer for Mercy in Distress

David pleads with God not to discipline him in anger but to heal and rescue him because of His loving devotion. He describes nights of weeping and grief over his enemies, then suddenly turns in confidence that God has accepted his prayer and his foes will be put to shame.

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