Psalm 6: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ps 6:1–10.
Theme: Suffering
Best Verse: 3 My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?
Command to Obey: --
Sin to Avoid: --
Promise to Claim: --
Application to Make: --
Something New About God: God limits our suffering.
Reflection: David knew times of deep suffering. For many Americans, wealth and technology limit suffering. But in due time, everyone suffers. Eventually every person's soul experiences deep agony and they cry out "How long!?!" God is with us in our suffering and God limits our suffering. The deep pain of Psalm 6 reminds me of the suffering of the Cherokee People because I'm camping at Smokemont Campground near the town of Cherokee on land which used to belong to them. About the only thing they can have is Jesus, and Jesus has experienced the full gamet of human suffering and walks with the persecuted.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Smokemont
Rain! We've had significant thunder storms the last two nights and into the mornings. However, there has been an afternoon sunshine break both days. There is a stream next to Smokemont Campground and the kids adore it. The Rangers did a stream explorers program and the kids caught lots of water bugs and salamanders. Elk came prancing through the campground twice, eating trees, brushes and grass. The fireflies are awesome - much better than Cades Cove and there were synchronous ones. The fire flies are on the non-creek side of the campground - more near D loop, and up Bradley Fork Trail. The trail was a muddy mess, but totally worth it to see the fireflies.
