David's Agony - A Bridge to the Refuge

Psalm 6

When I was young and in love, back during my college years, I would travel to see Linda where she was in college over in Northeastern Wisconsin. A couple of times I took a cross country route explained to me by an old timer. I would go to the southeast Minnesota border and cross over in Wisconsin at Red Wing. There was the strangest old bridge there that would really give me the creeps when I went over it. The old thing had a really steep angle to cross the Mississippi or Minnesota River and a warning that trucks must not meet on this bridge!

We know that David found the Lord God as his refuge, but how?

What did it take for this to happen?

The book of Psalms doesn't just declare that the Lord was David's refuge without showing us right up close how it happened.

Psalm 6 is one example of this.

How many of seek refuge from the storm when there is no storm?

Who lives in the storm cellar when the sun is shining?

C.S. Lewis, in The Problem of Pain, says:

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world" (p. 93).

Does this make us question the goodness of God?

For many, according to Lewis, it not only makes them question the goodness of God but makes that totally reject the notion that there is any God.

"If there was a God, He would not allow such suffering."

How long has it been since you heard that?

How long has it been since you have thought that?

If that is the case, you are in the process of finding God as your refuge.

The Psalms deal with the deepest of the thoughts and feelings of our hearts. When reading and studying in the Psalms it is not the time to hide anything from the Lord.

You can fool me pretty much any day of the week; we can fool ourselves with a little more effort; but we never fool or out wit the Lord.

Tell Him what you really think; and then listen to what He says.

"If God were good, He would wish to make his creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both . . . This is the problem of pain in its simplest form" (C.S. Lewis: The Problem of Pain, p. 26).

Psalm 6 is a wide open door into David's life and heart - for believers of all time to see. When we look into it we will see ourselves with the power of the Holy Spirit. We may even understand what it took for David to find God as his refuge.

For David to find God as his refuge, he needs to be able to humbly cry out to the Lord for mercy when he was in his deepest agony.

This time there is no greater joy then when their grain and new wine abound (Psalm 4:7).

This time David did not lie down and sleep in peace (Psalm 4:8).

But I thought that was what happens when we find "the rock of ages clefting for me".

Yes, it is in the end. But there is a bridge to cross before we reach that end. The experiences are as numerous as there are people; yet strangely the same.

Psalm 6 shows a bridge David had to cross.

There are several stopping points on that bridge.

I. GOD'S ANGER: An understanding that the Lord gets angry (Psalm 6:1).

He rebukes when angry; He disciplines in His wrath.

What do we judge ourselves about when we read I Corinthians 11 at a communion service?

We want to be careful in our rebuke and discipline when we are angry . . . so we don't become abusive. We will be careful of this.

Nonetheless, our anger will stir us concerning wrong doing and sin and will cause us to act . . . on God's behalf if it is done by his leading and empowered by his Spirit.

"The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God" (James 1:19), however, the wrath of God (fear of the Lord) does work the righteousness of God.

II. GOD'S MERCY AND HEALING: Always pray for mercy and always ask for healing (Psalm 6:2-3).

The blood of Christ turns God's wrath back - that is what atonement means.

"By His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

Oh Lord heal me:

. . . my bones are in agony

. . . my soul is in anguish

How long (will this go on) O Lord, how long?

I see my great need for the Lord's healing - and I pray accordingly.

- lost souls

- agonizing bones

- souls in anguish

- diseased and dying bodies

This is where we live and work; so this is how we pray.

C.H. Spurgeon had a great physical battle with gout. His body would burn with pain. He also had a great battle of spirit with depression. It is said that Spurgeon would at times weep for hours not knowing exactly what it was that he wept about (according to Pastor John Piper).

He would at times be heard praying something like this: If I had a child who was suffering in anguish like I am; I would do what I could to relieve that suffering. I am your child, my suffering is great, will you have mercy on your child and grant relief?

Spurgeon, according to the story, returned to the meeting at hand and said that the Father has heard my cry and granted relief. I don't believe that problem will return to me today.

Spurgeon knew the Lord's power of spiritual healing - "your sins are forgiven".

Spurgeon knew the Lord's power for physical healing - "take up you bed and walk".

III. GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE: Ask for deliverance on the basis of God's unfailing love (Psalm 6:4-5).

Strange Thoughts (to me):

I won't remember these things, like I am now, if I die.

I won't be singing your praise on earth, if my body is lying in a grave.

IV. GOD'S IMAGE WITHIN US: See the depth of the well that is inside each of us! (Psalm 6:6-8).

Worn out from groaning. What is a groan or sigh. How does the Holy Spirit groan for us?

Everywhere I recline (my bed or my favorite chair) I lay in material drenched with my own tears.

V. GOD'S GOODNESS: Be assured of this: the Lord hears, He cares, and He is good (Psalm 6:8-10).

This does appear to be the way to the refuge.

Recognition of security, protection, rest, and peace; because one has tasted the extreme opposite and yet came out saying, "God is good."

C.S. Lewis:

"God's goodness does not mean a good time was had by all."

"God is not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way."

Sometimes, with the Lord's help, we even meet up with someone coming back across this strange bridge.

Psalm 6 - David's agony; a bridge to the refuge.