We fought our nameless Alamos and rode to our deaths without a song of glory, nor any memory to leave behind except a hand less at the night guard and an empty saddle in the church wagon.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Kiowa Trail)
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
–Philippians 3:10(NKJV)
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The Holiday Season (Thanksgiving through Christmas) is sometimes described as the loneliest time of the year. Many live in regret, many have seen loved ones die during the year, many have seemingly no hope. That seems to be the theme of Psalm 88, despair from the pit, or the dark night of the soul. Lawson states, “Darkness shrouded the psalmist without and within, and he could not shake it.”
1 — O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.
2 — Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
3 — For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.
4 — I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength,
5 — Adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand.
6 — You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths.
7 — Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8 — You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9 — My eye wastes away because of affliction. LORD, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.
10 — Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah (NKJV)
Some have called this the “saddest psalm of the entire Psalter.” This person has done things right by crying out to the Lord, but nothing seems to have been done. God has not answered; God is quiet when he pleads. He recognizes that God is the one who saves, but there is the impression that God was not or had not listened to him. The question is why? Where are you God?
Perhaps you are in this situation, or have been in this situation. “Answer me God! Help me, Lord!” is your heart’s cry. Where is God? Where are the angels to minister to me? What has happened to my friends? Woe is me–this is a psalm of despair. “The darkness of the pit closes in on you, and the only bright hope in the whole psalm lies in its opening two verses–you are still talking to God.” (George O. Wood)
Think of Jesus, in Gethsemane. This may be a psalm He prayed in those dark hours before the Cross. This is the worst, and Jesus asks His disciples why they couldn’t even watch with Him for one hour. No answers, no guidance–sometimes that is life. In that case what do we do? We continue to trust in Him, we continue to hope in His Word, and endure. C. T. Studd said that, “A man is not known by his effervescence but by the amount of real suffering he can stand.” Hang on, and keep on crying out to the Lord!
“Christian brothers, shout and sing,
Death has lost its ancient sting!
Christ, the crucified before,
Is alive forever more!
Grave, where is thy vict’ry now?
See the light upon His brow,
Empty, see, the stony bed;
Christ is risen from the dead!”
–Thomas O. Chisholm
———————————
The Holiday Season (Thanksgiving through Christmas) is sometimes described as the loneliest time of the year. Many live in regret, many have seen loved ones die during the year, many have seemingly no hope. That seems to be the theme of Psalm 88, despair from the pit, or the dark night of the soul. Lawson states, “Darkness shrouded the psalmist without and within, and he could not shake it.”
1 — O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.
2 — Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
3 — For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.
4 — I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength,
5 — Adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand.
6 — You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths.
7 — Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8 — You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9 — My eye wastes away because of affliction. LORD, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.
10 — Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah (NKJV)
Some have called this the “saddest psalm of the entire Psalter.” This person has done things right by crying out to the Lord, but nothing seems to have been done. God has not answered; God is quiet when he pleads. He recognizes that God is the one who saves, but there is the impression that God was not or had not listened to him. The question is why? Where are you God?
Perhaps you are in this situation, or have been in this situation. “Answer me God! Help me, Lord!” is your heart’s cry. Where is God? Where are the angels to minister to me? What has happened to my friends? Woe is me–this is a psalm of despair. “The darkness of the pit closes in on you, and the only bright hope in the whole psalm lies in its opening two verses–you are still talking to God.” (George O. Wood)
Think of Jesus, in Gethsemane. This may be a psalm He prayed in those dark hours before the Cross. This is the worst, and Jesus asks His disciples why they couldn’t even watch with Him for one hour. No answers, no guidance–sometimes that is life. In that case what do we do? We continue to trust in Him, we continue to hope in His Word, and endure. C. T. Studd said that, “A man is not known by his effervescence but by the amount of real suffering he can stand.” Hang on, and keep on crying out to the Lord!
“Christian brothers, shout and sing,
Death has lost its ancient sting!
Christ, the crucified before,
Is alive forever more!
Grave, where is thy vict’ry now?
See the light upon His brow,
Empty, see, the stony bed;
Christ is risen from the dead!”
–Thomas O. Chisholm