(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Psalm 88:1-18) Lord, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has approached Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
5 Abandoned among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
7 Your wrath has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
9 My eye grows dim from misery;
I have called upon You every day, Lord;
I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
11 Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, Lord, have cried out to You for help,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why do You reject my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 I was miserable and about to die from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I grow weary.
16 Your burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They have surrounded me like water all day long;
They have encircled me altogether.
18 You have removed lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has approached Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
5 Abandoned among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
7 Your wrath has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
9 My eye grows dim from misery;
I have called upon You every day, Lord;
I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
11 Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, Lord, have cried out to You for help,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why do You reject my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 I was miserable and about to die from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I grow weary.
16 Your burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They have surrounded me like water all day long;
They have encircled me altogether.
18 You have removed lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
This psalm shows David's humanness, although I cannot totally relate, as I have never been a king over a nation, surrounded by many, many enemies. But whatever we are going through, we should keep in mind that God is in control, but does not tempt anyone or cause evil. He is just and fair, and will only allow certain things to fall onto us, whether these are consequences of our own actions, of other people's actions, or due to natural disasters or diseases because we live in a sinful, fallen world. God allows these things as tests for us to grow closer to Him.
In such times we are to be like David - persistently pursuing God!!! We can tell and ask God anything, because He already knows what we are thinking and feeling. And David actually asked some questions in verses 10 to 12 which might have seemed unreasonable to many, but they were excellent questions. Not only did God eventually answer these questions, but the answer is beyond amazing!
When Jesus died and paid the price for sin, He did go to that dark place. And because He rose again, having victory over death, those who believe in Him will be resurrected and go to heaven for all eternity! This includes anyone who believed in the Lord BEFORE Jesus came to earth in flesh, including David. So even if things seem hopeless right now, if we have placed our hope in Christ, we can be confident and rely on His faithfulness and graciousness.
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