Struggling To Serve

Psalm 6:1-10

“To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.” (Psalm 6:1a)

This psalm was for the stringed section of the orchestra, and was emphasize the use of an instrument similar to the eight stringed Lyre. 

“O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.  Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.  My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?” Psalm 6:1b-3)

One of the worst mistakes people make in disciplining their children is to wait until they lose their temper before they act, which results in overdoing the punishment.  David asks the Lord not to wait until he is angry, because he is weak and slips into sin very easily, which he finds frustrating.  Paul describes the same situation in Romans 7:18-25.  “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Christ had come, and Paul could depend on him ot give the victory over that natural tendency.  In David’s day Christ had not yet come, and he asks how long it will be that he has to deal with that struggle before God frees him.

“Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.  For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” (Psalm 6:4-5)

He asks that the Lord return and set him free before his death.  While death will set him free from the temptation, it will also make it impossible to serve the Lord or give thanks, or even to remember what God has done. 

“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.  Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.” (Psalm 6:6-7)

David was tired of constantly struggling to serve the Lord and failing time after time.  Most Christians today do not seem to understand how easy it is to serve the Lord when we have the Holy spirit in us to lead and guide us.  Far too many do not understand that it is Christ who frees us from that constant struggle.  Instead of resting in the Lord, they are working themselves to death trying to please God, and many eventually give up and quit trying.  When we have to struggle that hard, something is wrong. 

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  If we are having to work that hard at being a Christian, we need to go back and learn more about Jesus and what he has done for us.

“Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.  The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.  Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” (Psalm 6:8-10)

It will be essential to separate ourselves from those who live in sin if we are to communicate freely with the Lord.  It may embarrass those who oppose us and make them hate us, but it is better than losing God’s blessing.  This is especially true of those who claim to be Christians.  In I Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul instructs, “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

We are more apt to be influenced by those who claim to be Christians and live in sin than we are by those who make no such claim.  We know they are sinners.