Lent Devotional March 2, 2026

Scripture

Psalm 6

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.3 My soul also is struck with terror, while you, O Lord—how long?

4 Turn, O Lord, save my life; deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise?

6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.7 My eyes waste away because of grief; they grow weak because of all my foes.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.9 The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror; they shall turn back and in a moment be put to shame.

Devotion

The Rev. Rebecca L. Young ’21

The NRSV translation gives this psalm a title: Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness. However, there is little in the verses to indicate the weeping is exclusively due to sickness. In our times as well as in David’s era, there is much to weep about. 

As a hospital chaplain I often meet people of faith who share that they are ashamed of their tears over their illness. "Others have it worse," they say, or, "I have faith in God, so I shouldn't be crying." Some people share that they believe or were taught to believe by family members that tears are a sign of weakness. And yet, there is much to weep about. 

Lent is a time of lament and weeping. And our God is no stranger to tears. This psalm is a reminder that grief is part of our faith, too. From the psalmist to Jesus himself, weeping is sometimes how God’s people express themselves. The Psalms remind us that when we cannot find the words for the depths of sorrow and suffering, we are consoled by a Spirit that intercedes with sighs too deep for words. From personal illness to systemic injustice, there is much to weep about. 

This psalm describes deep grief—tear-soaked seats and eyes sore from crying—but it also affirms that God hears us when we cry out: “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.”  So let us not be afraid to cry.

Prayer

God of joy and sorrow, in this season of lament and repentance, we cry out to You with heavy tears. 

Hear the grief of all those suffering, especially those whose sadness is known only to You. 

Bring comfort to all those who weep, and guide us to comfort those among us who suffer.

Give us courage to trust You with all our deepest feelings and sorrows, and hear us when we cry out to You from the depths. 

We ask this in the name of your Son, who has walked and wept among us, and leads us out of sorrow into joy and eternal life. Amen.