Scripture: Psalm 88
Lord God, my savior, I cry out all day,
and at night I come before you.
2 Hear my prayer;
listen to my cry for help!
3 So many troubles have fallen on me
that I am close to death.
4 I am like all others who are about to die;
all my strength is gone.
5 I am abandoned among the dead;
I am like the slain lying in their graves,
those you have forgotten completely,
who are beyond your help.
6 You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb,
into the darkest and deepest pit.
7 Your anger lies heavy on me,
and I am crushed beneath its waves.
8 You have caused my friends to abandon me;
you have made me repulsive to them.
I am closed in and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are weak from suffering.
Lord, every day I call to you
and lift my hands to you in prayer.
10 Do you perform miracles for the dead?
Do they rise up and praise you?
11 Is your constant love spoken of in the grave
or your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness
or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?
13 Lord, I call to you for help;
every morning I pray to you.
14 Why do you reject me, Lord?
Why do you turn away from me?
15 Ever since I was young, I have suffered and been near death;
I am worn out from the burden of your punishments.
16 Your furious anger crushes me;
your terrible attacks destroy me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they close in on me from every side.
18 You have made even my closest friends abandon me,
and darkness is my only companion.
Observation:
There are many psalms of lament where the psalmist cries out to God because of either a physical condition or circumstance the psalmist is in. Most of those psalms conclude with a statement of trusting in God while still in the midst of the trouble. This psalm is different in that respect. Here the psalmist seems to be saying that his only companion is darkness. The Psalmist seems to be without hope, and yet still cries out to God. He writes: “Lord, I call to you for help; every morning I pray to you.” (Psalm 88:13)
The psalmist knows even with seemingly unanswered prayer, that his only help comes from God. Look at verses 1 and 2 where he begins: “Lord God, my savior, I cry out all day, and at night I come before you.
Hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help!” (Psalm 88:1-2)
Application:
There are times in our lives where it seems our prayers do not reach God’s throne of grace. We may feel shut out and maybe even abandoned. In those times, let us be like the writer of Psalm 88 who continues to pray unceasingly. Sometimes in our own prayers, our answers come in the prayer itself. Whatever befalls us and no matter what circumstances in which we might find ourselves, our help is only from the Lord. So keep on praying day and night. Our God is a God of grace, even when we can not discern it.
Prayer:
Dear Lord our God, there are times in our lives that you seem so far away. In those times, help us to remember who moved. You are a God of love, peace, mercy, and provision. Our very lives are a result of your love, creating us in your own image and likeness. Help us then in times of trouble to continually turn towards you. Help us to praise you no matter what our circumstance. Amen.