Psalm 6

Read Psalm 6 ESV

Who - David speaking to the LORD and making his prayer into a song, with a specific tune.

What - David is calling out to the LORD while experiencing a deeply distressing time.  He is weeping every night.  It sounds like his trouble is a physical illness (vs 2) though these words may be metaphorical for his anguish.  He also may be experiencing this as a result of his own sin (vs 1).  

When - Unstated

Where - Unstated

Why - David’s condition is so severe he believes only the LORD can save him and deliver him from this problem.  

How - David expresses to the LORD his deep grief and anguish.  He tells God how he is experiencing these emotions.  David connects the LORD’S deliverance to worship and praise of God as a reason to save him (vs 5).  Somewhere between verse 7 & 8 David receives some kind of confidence the LORD will deliver him (vs 9).  David does not tell us how this happens or in what ways.  The white space between verses 7 & 8 are a mystery to us.  (David may have composed 1-7 during His distress and then 8-10 after God delivered him.)

In verse 8-10 David introduces a new element to his distress.  In ways David does not explain David’s enemies are contributing to his distress.  Perhaps they are seeking to take advantage of David’s troubles, or they are pursuing him and the direct cause of David’s distress.  Either way David sees his healing and deliverance as a rebuke and judgment of God against his enemies.  Then David proclaims the LORD’S deliverance and trust in God’s coming action.

So What 

1. Whenever we are experiencing deep emotional pain, we should not hesitate to cry out to God with what we are feeling.  God knows what we feel, we are not telling him anything He does not already know.  However, the LORD has chosen to create us in a way that relief begins by expressing what we are feeling and crying out to Him.  Articulating our thoughts and feelings in words is, for reasons I do not understand, important to God.  
2. Even if the pain is a consequence of sin or just disciplining of the LORD (vs 1), we should not be afraid to ask for His intervention and mercy.  This idea is not just stated here in psalm 6, but other times in the OT God is presented as “changing” His mind because the people repented and asked for mercy.  Exodus 32:11-14.
3. When God responds with relief or healing we should acknowledge His actions and work on our behalf.  In essence we should testify to the LORD’S kindness and mercy.  This public declaration should at least be equal to the public knowledge of the problem.  
4. Recognize their maybe a huge “white space” between your request and God’s deliverance.  David presents it as instantaneous, verses 7-8, however, it likely was some measure of time between those two verses.   It is in the white space that our trust and faith in the LORD is tested and proved true (James 1:12).