The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 88:1,
"Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you."
This psalm, ascribed to the Sons of Korah in the heading, points the the Lord as "the God who saves me". A major thread that weaves itself throughout the whole book of Psalms is that the Lord is the One to flee to when we find ourselves in need.
The psalmist is clearly in need here:
"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." Verses 3-9.
The psalmist addresses the One he sees as causing the desperation he finds himself in, that it is the Lord's wrath that has placed him in the "lowest pit" he finds himself in.
Why would the Lord deal this way with someone who would turn to the Lord and cry out to him in the midst of their need? The answer appears obvious to me that it is precisely because the Lord has brought difficulties into the psalmist's life that the psalmist has learned to trust and rely on the Lord in times of need. There is a history of this interaction throughout the psalmist's life:
"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." Verses 15-18.
I am once again reminded of Jesus' words to the church in Laodicea, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Also from Proverbs 3:11-12, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." And, in Hebrews 12:7-11:
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
"Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you."
This psalm, ascribed to the Sons of Korah in the heading, points the the Lord as "the God who saves me". A major thread that weaves itself throughout the whole book of Psalms is that the Lord is the One to flee to when we find ourselves in need.
The psalmist is clearly in need here:
"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." Verses 3-9.
The psalmist addresses the One he sees as causing the desperation he finds himself in, that it is the Lord's wrath that has placed him in the "lowest pit" he finds himself in.
Why would the Lord deal this way with someone who would turn to the Lord and cry out to him in the midst of their need? The answer appears obvious to me that it is precisely because the Lord has brought difficulties into the psalmist's life that the psalmist has learned to trust and rely on the Lord in times of need. There is a history of this interaction throughout the psalmist's life:
"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." Verses 15-18.
I am once again reminded of Jesus' words to the church in Laodicea, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Also from Proverbs 3:11-12, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." And, in Hebrews 12:7-11:
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
When we find ourselves struggling, flee to the Lord! He is waiting with open arms for us while he makes us into what we need to be.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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