Psalm 88
Psalm 88
Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
As cases continue to rise, as people ignore the increasing numbers and choose their own comfort rather than the safety of others, it is easy to feel that darkness surrounds us. It is easy to feel lost and afraid.
I look around and I see companies and employees taking precautions with masks, gloves, sanitation, and social distancing reminders everywhere. But I see far more people walking around without masks or any sort of precaution, and I know that until more people take this seriously, the numbers will continue to rise and get more severe.
And I am tired. I am tired of being afraid. I am tired of not being able to go and do. I am tired of feeling guilty when I do go to a store (with a mask and wipes to be sure). I am ready for positive change. I am ready for schools to be opened and returned to normal....
But all of these wishes are very far off; and so in some moments I find myself at a loss. I find myself with darkness as a very close friend indeed.
It's in moments like these that this time to reflect and be still are all the more important. I must take the time to rest in the Overcomer (John 16:33). I must take time to abide in His love and His purpose. I may have no control over what happens next, but He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
When darkness feels so close by, when it threatens to overwhelm me, I cry out to the Lord. I look to Him.
And in Him I am found. I find peace. I find hope.
I can be still and know that He will fight for me; I can be still and know that this world is not all there is - an eternity awaits His believers. I can be still in my Savior's arms.
Through Him I escape the surrounding darkness. In Him I find rest. I find rest in the Light of the world.
Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
As cases continue to rise, as people ignore the increasing numbers and choose their own comfort rather than the safety of others, it is easy to feel that darkness surrounds us. It is easy to feel lost and afraid.
I look around and I see companies and employees taking precautions with masks, gloves, sanitation, and social distancing reminders everywhere. But I see far more people walking around without masks or any sort of precaution, and I know that until more people take this seriously, the numbers will continue to rise and get more severe.
And I am tired. I am tired of being afraid. I am tired of not being able to go and do. I am tired of feeling guilty when I do go to a store (with a mask and wipes to be sure). I am ready for positive change. I am ready for schools to be opened and returned to normal....
But all of these wishes are very far off; and so in some moments I find myself at a loss. I find myself with darkness as a very close friend indeed.
It's in moments like these that this time to reflect and be still are all the more important. I must take the time to rest in the Overcomer (John 16:33). I must take time to abide in His love and His purpose. I may have no control over what happens next, but He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
When darkness feels so close by, when it threatens to overwhelm me, I cry out to the Lord. I look to Him.
And in Him I am found. I find peace. I find hope.
I can be still and know that He will fight for me; I can be still and know that this world is not all there is - an eternity awaits His believers. I can be still in my Savior's arms.
Through Him I escape the surrounding darkness. In Him I find rest. I find rest in the Light of the world.
...the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16)
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