Psalm 6 - Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
5For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
7My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
8Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

Well... I am posting my QT up here today, with reference to the Maxwell Leadership Bible:


Observation (in General):

King David wrote many songs, directed unto God. Many songs were about his own affliction and his cry for God to deliver him. David was a man after God's own heart and was not afraid to communicate (or sing) and reveal his emotions or weaknesses.

"The Leader's Humanity: Don't Hide it.
Even as King of Israel, he (David) declared his fears, his anxieties, and his ambitions. Good leaders know how to balance transparency with being an example. Good leaders feel secure enough to be vulnerable" - Maxwell Leadership Bible, commentary on Psalms 6


Application:

People (as especially the men) often think being tough means that they are not easily emotionally effected (or at least they should appear that way.) Hence comes the whole macho mumbo jumbo. For example, I learnt during my NCC days: 'Real men don't cry!' Haha... If that is true, real men are abnormal. Men often hide their emotions and weaknesses from others fearing that others might 'pity' them or see them as 'weak'

However, the KING OF ISRAEL was not afraid to reveal his emotions and weakness. We can see this frm v2, v3 and so on.

2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?

He did so and balanced it with the way he walked his life's journey as an example. King David was transparent about his griefs, but always trusted the Lord and his actions and words portrayed his trust in the Lord. This was the example King David showed to his men. We can see this from v9 and v10.

"9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed."


Men need to know: being vulnerable is not weakness, but
(Vulnerability of weaknesses + true faith in the Lord) are two traits that a Kingdom man will have and the Kingdom man's strength is not of his, but of the Lord's.

The greatest man to show vulnerability is Jesus, as He was willing to die on the cross in front of EVERYONE, not in a closed room. Jesus, although He was sinless and was equal to God, Jesus was willing to be vulnerable in the flesh (to be crucified). Jesus never lost faith in His father God and walked in obedience to be crucified.


Prayer:
Lord, help me learn to be open and vulnerable as a leader. Help me learn to be a Kingdom man. Help me learn to be a man after your own heart, with faith and trust in You and yet secure enough to reveal my weaknesses. Lord, may this little devotion bless those who read it. Give them a rhema word as well Lord. Amen.