January 19th
THE PSALMS
Theme: Darkest Times.
Background: One-third of the Psalms are in the ‘anguish’ category, with Psalm 88
as the most depressing. This is Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer.
THE PSALMS
Psalm 84-88
Psalm 88
Psalm 88
You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.
Psalm 88:18, English Standard Version
Psalm 88:18, English Standard Version
Theme: Darkest Times.
Background: One-third of the Psalms are in the ‘anguish’ category, with Psalm 88
as the most depressing. This is Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer.
88:1 “O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.”
Wise man Heman described himself as: dead, like an unknown soldier in an unmarked grave (vs 3,5); drowning in waves of grief (vs 7,17), and deserted, alone in the darkness (vs 8,18). Some new Christians have the erroneous belief that from now on nothing really bad can happen to them because they are trying to live right! Yet, did not bad things happen to Jesus? (John 16:33)88:10 “Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you?”
Heman in a series of direct questions cross-examines God! Derek Kidner writes, “The very presence of such prayers in the Bible is a witness to His understanding. He knows how men speak when they are desperate.” God put these uncensored psalms there! He did not exclude the ‘angry’ prayers of Job from His Bible. ‘Pray like this to me please. I am your God, not because you get most things right but because I am grace!’88:14 “Why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?”
We may feel abandoned by God in total darkness, but the reality is we will never be forsaken by God because of the One who was forsaken for us in the darkness by Him.______________________________
The wilderness is the way to Canaan; the valley leads to the mountain.
The wilderness is the way to Canaan; the valley leads to the mountain.
