Discipline=Christ-likeness

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 6

Discipline=Christ-likeness

David was a weeping prophet like Jeremiah, and this psalm is one of his lamentations: it was either penned in a time, or at least calculated for a time, of great trouble, both outward and inward. This is a Psalm for the afflicted and sick. The tone of Psalm 6 is one of sorrow, humiliation, and hatred of sin. David begins with dejected complaints, but ends with joyful praises; like Hannah, who went to prayer with a sorrowing spirit, but, when she had prayed to the LORD, went her way, and her countenance was changed from sadness to joy. There are three things the psalmist is complaining of in this Psalm:

1. Sickness of body.

2. Trouble of mind, arising from a sense of sin

3. The insults of his enemies due to both his physical sickness and the sickness of his soul

* Read Psalm 6 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

This Psalm can be broken down into two parts.
I. The plea of the Psalmist in his distress. David pours out his complaints before God, protests against God’s wrath, and begs earnestly for the return of His favor- Psalm 6:1-7

In verses 1-6, it is evident that the Psalmist is experiencing a time of discipline from God. There are two ways God goes about bringing His children into submissive obedience. God uses His Word to reprove them; and His rod, with which He disciplines them. God’s Word comes first to His children, giving them warning through His servants, i.e. Pastors, Godly friends, mentors, etc. David had one such man in his life who brought to his attention sin, when it had crept its way in. Remember Nathan, when he came before David and called out his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12)? God uses Godly men and women to aid Him in calling sinners to repentance. When verbal warnings and rebuke don’t work, like a good father, God spares not His rod in order not to spoil His child. Being disciplined by the Lord is not a fun process, but it results in our being more Christ-like.

“6) And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom He receives."
7) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8) If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9) Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10) For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
11) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:6-11, ESV

Notice again what verse 10 says, “For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” God disciplines us for our good so that we can be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). He knows what’s best for us and He knows the end results of who we will be- He also knows what’s it’s going to take to get us to that point of holiness, therefore discipline is good. David, wasn’t overly thrilled with this time of discipline, but he received it from God asking God to discipline him with mercy, because he knew that the outcome would be him being more like God.

II. Confidence in God because He has heard the Psalmist prayers. David assures himself of an answer of peace, because he has great faith in his God- Psalm 6:8-10
What a vast contrast from what we’ve just seen in the Psalmist, a heart full of hopelessness now turned to hope. David had hope because God had heard to voice of his weeping. God had seen the tears streaming from David’s eye as he tossed and turned in his bed at night unable to sleep. Not only did God see the tears streaming from David’s eyes, God also saw the weeping of David’s heart. David was grieved over his sin and truly repentant of his offense against the LORD. Now that God had heard his prayers and received his repentant heart, David’s enemies could do nothing to him. He had been victorious because God was on his side.

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
When your times of discipline come, how to you receive them? Do you take to heart the counsel of Godly men and women with whom the Lord has placed in your life to draw you closer to Him? Do you submit to God’s discipline, knowing that it’s going to cause you to be more like Him or do you run as fast as you can in the other direction to avoid it? Beloved, remember, God disciplines those He loves and His discipline is for our benefit.

What is your attitude toward the sin in your life? Do rivers of water run down from your eyes because you have sinned against a Perfect and Holy God (Psalm 119:136)? More importantly, is your heart weeping over the sin in your life? Is your heart truly repentant over your sin? To be truly repentant means that one agrees with God’s view of sin, confesses it to Him and turns from it, desiring in her heart not to return to it. Confess your sins to the Lord, He is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9).

Precious Father, reveal to me any sin in my life that is hindering me from becoming more like You. If times of discipline are needed, I welcome them with open arms. My desire is to more like You everyday- do what is necessary to burn away the impurities of my heart. Mold me and make me into the Godly women You have created me to be.