Psalm 88

“My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You. Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You?- Selah - Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You. Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off. They came around me all day long like water; they engulfed me altogether. Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness.” Psalm 88:9-18 (NKJV)

Years ago, pop singer Elton John sang, “Sad songs say so much.”  We like our movies and our songs to have happy endings.  The puppy always makes it home, the girl gets the guy of her dreams, and the hero saves the day last minute.  But that is not life. Sometimes, we pray, and God does not answer us in the affirmative, even though we are convinced that we are praying according to His will.  In those times when we are in the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” it is important to remember that God promised to be with us in the midst of trouble, not necessarily that He would rescue us from it. (Psalm 23). Consider Jesus’ prayer for us.

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NKJV)

John the Baptist certainly wondered whether God would hear his prayer for rescue, and he sent messengers to ask Jesus if He was the One or whether John should look for another Messiah.  (Luke 7:19-20) Of course, the New Testament book of Hebrews mentions an entire group of people who were heroes yet were not spared from martyrdom.

“Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented - of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:36-38 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm was written by Heman the Ezrahite, one of the “Sons of Korah,” the Levitical group of musicians/singers/songwriters.  (1 Chronicles 25:1; 1 Chronicles 25:4-6; 1 Chronicles 2:5; 1 Kings 4:31) Heman was a friend of King David, known in Scripture as David’s “seer,” or prophetic advisor.  He was present when the ark of the covenant returned to Jerusalem and was so wise that Solomon’s wisdom was compared to Hemans' in that it exceeded it.  If there was ever a man who could say he earned God’s deliverance, it was Heman, yet he too had to faithfully wait on the Lord, wondering and hoping in His Word, like the rest of us. And that is comforting.