Psalm 88 (Listen)
88:1 O LORD, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O LORD, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.
Devotional:
From my youth, I have been suffering and near death. I suffer your horrors; I am desperate. (Psalm 88:15)
You can feel the agony in the psalmist as you read his words. This Psalm can be difficult to read, but as we reflect on the global issues of today such as war, child trafficking, starvation, poverty and abuse of power, we realize that many around the world live in difficult realities in which they feel helpless. Will you weep with those whose hearts are distraught? Weep with them, and pray that God will show them that they are not ultimately without help and that they are not to be hopeless in spite of their difficult circumstances because of His presence and His promises.
Pray It: Father, help me to neither ignore nor be overwhelmed by the difficulties I see in this world. May you empower me to weep with those who weep and cry out with and for those in need of help, looking to you for hope in any and every situation. Amen.
Share it: Share a verse or thought from this passage with someone today.