anguish

Psalm 6

This is another psalm written by David. The exact circumstances of his writing are not given. The first seven verses contain a vivid description of anguish and suffering. It is not clear if David is suffering because of attacks from his enemies (v 7b and 10 would imply this to be the case) or if he is suffering from some illness which the rest of the psalm implies. It could also be a relational break down that is causing David to suffer in this way. Whatever the circumstances, the anguish is intense: bones are in agony, soul is in anguish, worn out from groaning, bed flooded with tears each night, eyes weak with sorrow.
This psalm is a classic lament. Something is not as it should be and it is causing David great sorrow and even questions: "how long, Lord, how long?" It is clear that David recognizes that God is in control and can stop the suffering if he so chooses. He appeals to God's character, specifically his unfailing love, in his request for relief. His logical argument is: I can't praise you from the grave. Therefore, preserve my life so I can continue to proclaim your name. As in all classic laments, David's emotions resolve. He recognizes that God is still in control and that he is good. Therefore, the enemies of good can look forward to being shamed.
I can remember a few times in my life where my body ached because of my sorrow. I can remember when anguish overtook my soul and I can remember asking God some very similar questions. I think sometimes we're afraid to ask God these type of questions and to express our emotions in this way because we're afraid that we will offend God. I think the key is to remember that God is in control. This brings both comfort and more questions: if he is in control, why doesn't he stop what's going on? Also, we need to remember that God is good and, even in the midst of our anguish, he is communicating his love to us in some way. We can have the same confidence as David, not that our situation will become lollipops and rainbows but that God will accomplish his purpose in this earth.
I also think that we are tempted to think that bad things in our lives mean some sort of bad behaviour on our part. This was David's assumption at the beginning of the psalm. Sometimes it is true; God does use circumstances to correct our behaviour. However, it is not always the case. It reflects the linear thinking that we so often fall into: if I do A it results in B. The downfall of this thinking is that we then believe that we can achieve God's blessing (B) if we just work hard enough (A) and if we're not experiencing God's blessing, then we just aren't trying hard enough. This is not correct thinking. God's blessing is only a result of God's grace and there is nothing I can do to achieve it. In the end it comes down to trust. That's where David ends up; trusting that God is in control, that he is good and that loves us very much.