In Psalm 6 David is praying to the LORD to for relief from discipline and the pain he is in. David describes his pain so deeply. Verses 6-7 read,
“I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.”
David knows the LORD is there. He knows that the trouble he is facing is the consequence of his own sin. He began this Psalm with asking the Lord not to rebuke or discipline him in His anger. The Lord will discipline you. He will allow you to suffer from the bad choices you’ve made. Proverbs 3:12 reads,
“for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.”
It is repeated in Hebrews 12:6
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Just like a loving parent would not allow his child to keep behaving in a way that leads to danger, Our Father in Heaven won’t allow us to keep sinning without His chastisement.
But David also knew that it wouldn’t be forever. David begged the Lord to end his punishment. And the LORD did. The Lord saw that David had gotten the message.
Verses 8-9 read,
“Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.”
The Lord will correct, prepare, and instruct you. He will reprimand you and even castigate you if he has to. He loves you. He wants the best for you. But that punishment will also come to an end. And through it all, whether you are in the midst of a reprimand or a reward, whether in the center of a struggle or a rest, He is with you. He has you, your best interests and your future in His loving mighty hands.
God forgave you. His discipline isn’t about making you pay for the wrongs you’ve done it is about correcting you, training you and transforming you to be the very best you can be. It is about making you into the image of Christ.