Psalm 88

Psalm 88

O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night.

2 Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry.

3 For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near.

4 I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left.

5 They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care.

6 You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths.

7 Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.

8 You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape.

9     My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy.

10 Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you?

11 Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?

12 Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?

13 O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day.

14 O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me?

15 I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors.

16 Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me.

17 They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely.

18 You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.

Wow, Where does one go from here? We are not told from the context of this scripture. So, the best we can do is look at the rest of the Bible for help in knowing what Psalm 88 is about.

The Psalmist here is discussing terrible troubles. Where do terrible troubles come from? They originate with disobedience - they are curses applied on the disobedient.

Okay, so troubles come from disobedience. What do troubles say to the one who is troubled?  REPENT.

Father, in my troubles today, I make one conclusion: I need to repent. And, so I do - please forgive me for the nasty Godless things in my life that betray me by bringing curses upon me. Forgive me as well for  faithlessness to Jesus and His redemption on my behalf that is equally obvious in my troubled state of being. I can cry out for mercy from You, but I know Your Way is Jesus - so instead of crying out for mercy, I cry out "Jesus!"