Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.

When Tears Won’t Stop: Finding Mercy in the Depths (Psalm 6)

• James Long

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Episode Title: When Tears Won’t Stop: Finding Mercy in the Depths of Psalm 6

Episode Summary

Psalm 6 is a lifeline for the crushed, the grieving, the guilt-ridden, and the spiritually weary. In this episode of Counseling Through the Psalms, James Long, Jr. guides us through one of the most raw and vulnerable passages in the Psalter. We hear the groans of a broken soul and learn how honest lament can become the doorway to mercy.

David’s prayer teaches us that God’s love does not wait until we are clean or composed. It meets us in the flood of tears. Whether you are battling depression, chronic pain, spiritual despair, or unresolved grief, Psalm 6 will lead you into hope—not by avoiding sorrow, but by facing it in the presence of God.

Key Takeaways

  • God’s mercy is not delayed by our sin or our sorrow; it is steadfast and available.
  • Lament is a form of worship. Honest cries of anguish are welcomed by God.
  • Prayer is not based on how we feel but on who God is.
  • Spiritual depression and emotional exhaustion are not signs of faithlessness.
  • God's love can restore confidence even when circumstances remain the same.

Scripture Focus

  • Psalm 6:1–10
  • Romans 5:8
  • Psalm 121:4
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Reflect and Respond

  • When was the last time you wept before the Lord? What kept you from turning to Him?
  • Do you believe God's mercy is available even when you feel unworthy?
  • What lies arise in your heart when sorrow makes God seem distant or silent?
  • How does appealing to God's steadfast love change how you pray in pain?
  • Are you allowing space for lament in your spiritual walk—or rushing past it?
  • Who in your life needs a companion in sorrow—and how can Psalm 6 help you walk with them?

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ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE

Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Counseling Through the Psalms with James Long Jr, a special series from Lessons for Life. I'm James, and in each episode we will journey into the rich, honest and healing language of the Psalms to find hope, clarity and comfort for life's deepest struggles. Whether you're wrestling with anxiety, grief, anger or spiritual dryness, the Psalms offer us a path towards restoration and peace through God's Word. So, wherever you are right now, take a deep breath and let's enter into the heart of Scripture together. Welcome back, it's James. Turn to Psalm 6. If you have a copy of your Scriptures and I always encourage you to have a journal with a pen or pencil available so that we can work through this psalm We've entitled this when Tears Won't Stop Finding Mercy in the Depth of Psalm 6.

Speaker 1:

Now, psalm 6 is a raw, honest cry of the soul overwhelmed by grief, guilt and fear. Now, in this psalm, david teaches us how to turn our deepest anguish into a prayer for mercy, reminding us that God's love will meet us even when we are undone Crying out from the depths. There are moments in life when the heart feels crushed beneath sorrow and the soul is unraveling under the weight of suffering. Psalm 6 gives voice to that experience. This is not a psalm of praise, it's a psalm of pleading. Verse 1 says this O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. David is not merely struggling, he is undone. He feels the heavy hand of God, perhaps because of personal sin, and he doesn't know how much longer he can bear it. Many people wrestle silently with this kind of despair, depression, chronic illness, spiritual shame, unresolved grief. These realities do not fit neatly into the categories of modern self-help. But Psalm 6 refuses to sanitize pain. It meets us in the mess not with platitudes, but with prayer.

Speaker 1:

David's cry is more than circumstantial. His whole being is affected. Watch what it says in verse 2. Be gracious to me, o Lord, for I am languishing. Heal me, o Lord, for I am languishing. Heal me, o Lord, for my bones are troubled. The Hebrew word here for languishing means withering, wasting away. His physical frame is shaking, but more than his body, his soul is in anguish. Watch what it says in verse 3. My soul also is greatly troubled, but you, o Lord? How long? That's the question. How long? It's not just a cry of frustration, it's the language of lament. It reveals a soul that knows God can act but struggles with the silence. This is what spiritual depression often feels like Disorientation, inner trembling and the haunting delay of divine relief. But even here Psalm 6 becomes a companion. It doesn't explain suffering away, it guides us through it when you feel forgotten by grace.

Speaker 1:

The heart of the psalm lies in verses 4-5, where David makes his urgent plea Turn O Lord, deliver my life, save me for the sake of your steadfast love. Notice the basis of his hope. David does not appeal to his worthiness or his record or his suffering. He appeals to chesed We've talked about this before God's steadfast love. This is covenantal love, not conditional kindness. It's the same love that carried Israel through the wilderness and holds every believer through the night. Now, in counseling, this verse is a powerful reorientation.

Speaker 1:

We often default to self-blame or to shame when life falls apart. We think if I were more faithful, if I prayed more, if I were stronger. But David shows us that the way forward is not through self-justification but through grace. He doesn't demand deliverance because he is good. He begs for it because God is what, merciful and faithful. Then comes the startling statement For in death, there is no remembrance of you In Sheol who will give you praise Verse 5. David is not giving a theology of the afterlife. Here he's expressing the agony of feeling cut off from the presence of God. In his cultural context, death represented the final separation. What David is saying is this if I die in this despair, how will I praise you again? It is not a threat. It's a desperate cry to be restored, to worship. A flood of tears, a flickering hope.

Speaker 1:

The emotional low point of the psalm comes in verses 6 and 7. I am weary with my moaning. Every night I flood my bed with tears. I drench my couch with my weeping. My eyes waste away because of grief. It grows weak because of all my foes. Now, this is not metaphor. David is describing actual physical exhaustion from emotional turmoil. His nights are soaked with tears. His vision is blurred by sorrow. Grief has worn him down to the bone and his enemies remain.

Speaker 1:

This section is one of the most honest depictions of depression and sorrow in all of Scripture. It validates the experience of those who feel emotionally numb, physically depleted and spiritually hollow of those who feel emotionally numb, physically depleted and spiritually hollow. Now, in the counseling room, these verses become a mirror for clients who feel ashamed of their tears. David shows us that you can be a person of faith and still feel broken. But the psalm doesn't end there.

Speaker 1:

A shift takes place in verse 8. Depart from me all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. What changed Once again? Not his circumstances, but his confidence. David's plea turns into a declaration the Lord has heard my plea. The Lord accepts my prayer. Verse 9. This is the moment of soul-stabilizing truth. The tears were not wasted. The weeping was not ignored. The Lord heard. And because he heard, david knows that evil will not have the final word. Mercy for the weary, strength for the broken. The psalm closes with an unexpected note of victory Verse 10,. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled. They shall turn back and be put to shame. The one who began the psalm greatly troubled, in verse 3, is now secure. The enemies who seemed powerful will themselves be undone. Not because David got stronger, but because God never stopped listening.

Speaker 1:

For the person navigating spiritual discouragement, grief or guilt, psalm 6 is a lifeline. It offers a path through the darkness, not by minimizing pain, but by magnifying the mercy of God. His love does not wait until we are cleaned up. It meets us in a flood of tears and it draws us to solid ground. Here's the doctrinal insights that we learn from this psalm God's mercy. He is not quick to anger but abounds in steadfast love to his children, even when they are broken by sin or sorrow.

Speaker 1:

Lament as worship. Honest prayer is not weakness but a faithful response to suffering. God welcomes our groaning, justification by grace alone. David does not plead his worthiness, but appeals to God's steadfast love as the basis for his help and God's nearness. Even when God feels distant, he hears. Prayer does not depend on how we feel, but on who God is. So now let's take all of that theology and let's make it practical.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 6 offers critical insights for pastoral care, counseling and personal soul care For the depressed. It shows us that spiritual maturity includes seasons of anguish. Depression is not faithlessness. It's a place where faith must be cried For the grieving. It offers language for lament and a promise that God hears every tear. For those who are wrestling with guilt, it reminds us that God's mercy is greater than our failures. Wrestling with guilt. It reminds us that God's mercy is greater than our failures. For caregivers, it teaches us to guide others towards honest prayer, not quick fixes. And for the church, it models how to minister to the hurting with compassion and theological depth, creating space for lament in worship and discipleship.

Speaker 1:

Now, once again, you have your journals. Consider working through some of these reflect and respond questions. I'll give you six of them here. Question number one when was the last time you wept before the Lord? What kept you from turning to him? Question number two do you believe God's mercy is still available to you even when you feel unworthy? Question number three what lies do you need to confront when sorrow makes God seem silent or far? Question number four how does appealing to God's steadfast love reshape the way you pray in pain? Appealing to God's steadfast love reshape the way you pray in pain. Question number five are you allowing lament to have a place in your faith journey or are you trying to move on too quickly?

Speaker 1:

Question number six how can Psalm 6 equip you to walk with someone who is drowning in sorrow? Well, let's pray. Merciful Father, you hear the groans that I cannot articulate. You see the tears I shed in the night. Thank you for your mercy. That does not depend on my strength and your presence is not absence when I feel forsaken. Meet me in my weariness, heal what is broken, forgive what is sinful and steady my soul by your steadfast love. Teach me to wait with hope and to trust that you will hear me, even when I cannot see you.

Speaker 1:

In Jesus' name, the one who wept and now reigns, we pray Amen. So here's the call to action If your soul feels crushed and your strength is gone, do not give up. Psalm 6 shows us that God's mercy meets us in the depth, not just to comfort us, but to carry us forward. If you'd love to learn more about us, I would encourage you to join our free navigators level of Lessons for Life community at communityjameslongjrorg for devotionals, meetups and training that will help you walk by faith, or explore one of our full memberships at jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now for deeper coaching and content designed to help you grow emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Let your tears become prayers. God hears them all. Till next time, be blessed.

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James Long, Jr.

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