Lord, I can see you are angry. Do not rebuke me now. Have mercy on me. I am exhausted; even my soul is worn out.
Instead, Lord, save me by your unfailing love — deliver me!
How can I praise you if I’m dead? Who can proclaim you from the grave?
I’m worn out from groaning. Tears flow all night long. My bed is soaked. My eyes are weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
Go away, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. He has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will suddenly be put to shame. I trust the Lord will overwhelm those who are against me.
Reflection
Before we quickly dismiss this psalm as a whining treatise that begs God for help, it’s important to note this is “a psalm of David.” Here we are invited into the mind of one who has everything the world could want at his disposal — and yet he is in agony. He is tired. He is worn out physically and emotionally. Those who oppose him are eager to jump in like Job’s friends and add insult to injury.
Contemporary leaders can learn a lot from this short psalm. Imagine what it would be like if those who wear titles like CEO, Lead Pastor, etc., were so transparent. Or perhaps it’s a lesson for us to bear one another’s burdens as we all experience times of emotional darkness.
If the king can feel so drained, yet have the confidence that the Lord will hear his cry and accept his prayer, so can I. The pain is only temporary. The enemies will lose.
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.