Psalms 6:9 - Homiletics

The school of adversity.

"The Lord hath heard," etc. This outburst of triumphant gratitude is like a sunbeam out of a dark, stormy sky. A wail of profound sadness echoes through the earlier portion of the psalm. In his deep affliction the psalmist seems to lose sight of the light beyond; he sees but the dark silence of the grave ( Psalms 6:5 ). Suddenly the clouds part; faith revives; the conviction that God is the Hearer of prayer fills his soul with joy, and with the certain hope that God will answer.

I. TROUBLE IS THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER . In trouble even prayerless souls are often taught to pray ( Psalms 78:34 ; Psalms 107:6 ).

"Eyes that the preacher could not school

By wayside graves are raised—

And lips say, 'God be merciful!'

That ne'er said, 'God be praised!'"

(Mrs. Browning.)

But even prayerful Christians have to own that there is no prayer like that we offer in trouble. In prosperity prayer is apt to be vague, like an arrow shot skyward from a slack string. Prayer in trouble is like an arrow shot from a full-bent bow—straight at the mark. David's prayer was intensely personal, "my supplication;" urgent, "the voice of my weeping;" persistent, "all the night" ( Psalms 6:6 ); seizing hold on God's mercy as its plea ( Psalms 6:4 ). Even our blessed Lord learned this lesson ( Hebrews 5:7 ).

II. Therefore, ONE PRINCIPAL BLESSING OF AFFLICTION AND STRONG CONSOLATION under it is this—that thus our Father is teaching his child to pray. Our Lord teaches this lesson ( Luke 11:5 , etc.; Luke 18:1 , etc.). Never lose hold of this truth in darkest trouble, for without this it will be dark indeed—meaningless, hopeless, comfortless. The Lord has heard your prayer in the way of taking note of it—knows more about it than you do yourself. Therefore he will hear in the way of sending an answer: if not the exact answer you wish and expect, then something better. So St. Paul's thrice earnestly repeated prayer was answered with a refusal richer in grace and love than if his petition had been granted ( 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ).

Observe: If we lived nearer to God, more in the spirit and habit of prayer, in peaceful prosperous days, we might perhaps the less need to be taught in this sharp school.