Hope from the saddest Psalm
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COLUMN: LIVING THE FAITH
Hope from the saddest Psalm
by Richard Mansel, managing editor
tinyurl.com/kab4t4z
When we suffer, we run to Psalms and Proverbs for
comfort. Wisdom Literature is a treasure that could
only come from God.
However, one Psalm appears to be bereft of comfort
until we look deeper into the text.
Psalm 88 is a mystery. We don't know why it was
written. Some suppose that the author was near physical
death, a leper or a type of Christ. All we know for
certain is that the author of Psalm 88 was completely
miserable.
He was:
"full of trouble" (Psalm 88:3).
"near to the grave" (Psalm 88:3).
"counted with those who go down to the pit" (Psalm
88:4).
"has no strength" (Psalm 88:4).
"Adrift among the dead" (Psalm 88:5).
"Like the slain who lie in the grave" (Psalm 88:5).
"in the lowest pit" (Psalm 88:6).
"in darkness, in the depths" (Psalm 88:6).
Horrors attack him like a relentless wave (Psalm 88:7).
His final words illustrate his depression and
loneliness (Psalm 88:18). Despite this oppression, he
sees God as his salvation (Psalm 88:1) and prayer as
his voice (Psalm 88:2,9).
No matter how low we go, God will be there (Hebrews
13:5). Misery cannot take us where God cannot go (Psalm
138:7-12). He is longsuffering and eager to forgive and
forget (Jeremiah 31:34).
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor height nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
God will always shower blessings on his children
(Ephesians 1:3). We cannot allow this misery to take
Christ away from us. Satan will hit us hard (Job 1),
but we must be resolved and firm (Hebrews 11:6;
Ephesians 6:10-17).
While the psalm ends with the appearance of
hopelessness, we can nonetheless be comforted by the
spiritual reality that in the end, that is all mankind
possesses. Only in Christ can we be saved (Romans 5:6-
11).
Walk in Christ every day and live in his light and the
horrors of this world will serve only to usher us into
our new homeland where such things no longer exist
(Revelation 21:3-4).
Christ is our anchor in the storms of this world. Cling
to him and find victory today!
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