FAITH IN THE DARKNESS
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Father, for your unfailing love and constant presence that are mine today.
Read PSALM 88
Psalm 88[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[b] A maskil[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
5 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.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d]
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction[e]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
Footnotes
- Psalm 88:1 In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
- Psalm 88:1 Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
- Psalm 88:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 88:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
- Psalm 88:11 Hebrew Abaddon
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
You can tell God how you are feeling—about life, about the things ahead of you, and about spending time with him. You don’t need to be afraid to be honest (he already knows).For many believers, times of deep despair and depression can be a persistent part of life. The psalmist here was clearly in a dark season and had experienced suffering and sorrow since his youth (v. 15). His struggles surrounded him, his friends had abandoned him, and even God felt distant.
Yet look at his faith, even in the midst of this torment: although his trust in God was deeply shaken, still it is to God he turned. He knew God was the only person who could save him (v. 1). And he knew God was in control. He wrote, ‘You have put me in the lowest pit… you have overwhelmed me’ (vv. 6, 7).
He also appealed to God’s glory (vv. 10–12). This was a similar appeal to the ones Moses made in Exodus 32:11–14 and 33:15, 16— where he felt that God’s reputation was at stake and, if for no other reason, he should save his people so they could witness to his goodness. It is not sinful to feel sad or despairing. This psalm reminds us that in our darkest moments we can still speak honestly to God and call on him to help us.
Apply
If you are feeling low or suffering, write an honest prayer expressing how you feel.
Closing prayer
I look to you, Father, for those who are suffering, particularly those prone to depression. Help them to feel your presence; comfort them with your love.
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