“O Lord, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before Thee
Let my prayer come before Thee;
Incline thine ear to my cry!
For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life is drawn near to Sheol.”
Psalm 88:1-3
This Psalm was troubling to read. The complaint of the Psalmist continues throughout the entire Psalm and is not answered. His cry, it seems, goes unheard. Unlike many of David’s Psalms, which contain equally impassioned cries for help, this Psalm does not end with a positive declaration of the Psalmist’s plea having been answered. David cried but ultimately said things like “Why are you in despair O my soul, and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm 42:11). But this Psalmist does not testify to any answer from God, he remains in his distress. Nor does he give any hope from his past experience, he does not ask for a restoring to a previous better condition because he seems to have always been in distress, “I was afflicted in about to die from my youth on.” The experience of this Psalmist seems inconsistent with God’s promises to provide help and fill us with joy and gladness. Why would God seemingly pass this praying man over, and include his hopeless plea in his Word?
Conjecture:
1. This kind of experience is atypical. God normally displays his faithfulness through abundance not through sparseness. The experience of David is far more normal, we can expect God to answer our cries for help with abundant grace.
2. God does, at times, withhold blessing. He is sovereign over the bestowing of help, joy, and peace. He can delay our blessing for his good purposes (and our ultimate good) for as long as he sees fit.
3. Such delays are normally not very long. The Lord will come quickly to save his Holy ones. The Lord knows how much we can bear; he knows exactly what He’s doing when He delays, like when Jesus delayed in visiting His sick friend Lazarus.
4. There are many circumstances and experience where the delay is long. This Psalmist’s delay was perhaps lifelong. Others, like David, experience long seasons of struggle, some saints have been imprisoned and suffered for years on end.
5. Whether God answers quickly, or in his wisdom delays, He is perfect in His timing and always acts for the glory of His name and for the maximum joy of His saints and their enjoyment of His glory.
6. Struggle and suffering, in Christ, is always rewarded. “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
7. If little affliction results in a greater weight of glory, how much more glory is in store for those who are afflicted much? Perhaps such saints will receive an even greater external weight of glory, more than others, precisely because they suffered so much, and for so long. What if God withheld earthly rescue from this Psalmist holding out instead for a much better eternal rescue? Would not this Psalmist consider it worth it all once he arrived in glory? Would not his complaint then be turned to resounding praise?
8. God preserves his saints in affliction. He knows what we can bear and is able to preserve us in our trouble. However much this man languished under despair, he did ultimately persevere in prayer. He did not give up crying out to God. He continued to lift up his hands to the Lord. He did not stop asking for help from the Lord. He did not give up. God’s sovereign preserving, keeping power was made manifest in this man’s life. God’s grace was provided. It kept him faithful to the end. It kept him crying out. It kept him praying. If he had truly lost hope he would have ceased praying and looked elsewhere for help or at least relief. He would have left God and sought comfort in the things of the world and would have been ultimately and finally abandoned. Yet God kept him. The Psalmist kept his eyes on the Lord and prayed. He did not give up, even though the Lord delayed perhaps until his death. This is a testimony of God’s faithfulness and an encouragement for me to keep praying no matter how long God may delay in answering my prayer.
O Lord, please help me to persevere in prayer, especially when I don’t receive what I ask, or your answer is delayed. Thank you Lord, that I can depend on your grace to keep me praying at such times. Please do not let my momentary afflictions cause me to cease praying, rather let afflictions strengthen my resolve and intensify my cry. You are so good. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen.
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