The Darkest
Depths
Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to
you. May my prayer come before you; turn
your ear to my cry.
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.
I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits
rise up and praise you? Is your love declared
in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of
darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
But I cry to you
for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
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.
Psalm
88:1-18
Heman was honest in his feelings. He struggled. Christians who
never struggle have not been tested. Their faith is still to be tested.
There is more to Heman
than just candor. He also had a stubborn, intractable faith. Despite his many
problems, he clung to God and cried out to Him, all the time – day and night.
Admire
Heman. He should help strengthen your own grip on
God.
Heman helps remind
us to never stop praying.
Prayer
is the soil in which hope grows best.
Our Daily Bread –