God Speaks
A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord.
1 Lord, hear my prayer!
Listen to my plea!
2 Don’t turn away from me
in my time of distress.
Bend down to listen,
and answer me quickly when I call to you.
3 For my days disappear like smoke,
and my bones burn like red-hot coals.
4 My heart is sick, withered like grass,
and I have lost my appetite.
5 Because of my groaning,
I am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like an owl in the desert,
like a little owl in a far-off wilderness.
7 I lie awake,
lonely as a solitary bird on the roof.
8 My enemies taunt me day after day.
They mock and curse me.
9 I eat ashes for food.
My tears run down into my drink
10 because of your anger and wrath.
For you have picked me up and thrown me out.
11 My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows.
I am withering away like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever.
Your fame will endure to every generation.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—
and now is the time to pity her,
now is the time you promised to help.
14 For your people love every stone in her walls
and cherish even the dust in her streets.
15 Then the nations will tremble before the Lord.
The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem.
He will appear in his glory.
17 He will listen to the prayers of the destitute.
He will not reject their pleas.
18 Let this be recorded for future generations,
so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.
19 Tell them the Lord looked down
from his heavenly sanctuary.
He looked down to earth from heaven
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to release those condemned to die.
21 And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion,
his praises in Jerusalem,
22 when multitudes gather together
and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.
23 He broke my strength in midlife,
cutting short my days.
24 But I cried to him, “O my God, who lives forever,
don’t take my life while I am so young!
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain forever;
they will wear out like old clothing.
You will change them like a garment
and discard them.
27 But you are always the same;
you will live forever.
28 The children of your people
will live in security.
Their children’s children
will thrive in your presence.”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Psalm 102 is, as the heading states in the NIV, “A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.” Like him, when we are experiencing difficulties, we need to ask the LORD to really listen and respond to our prayers. We need Him to bend down and answer us quickly. In such circumstances, we feel as if our days have no substance; we are in emotional or physical pain (or both); we can’t eat; we can’t sleep. We feel abandoned and alone. We are constantly weeping. We feel as dry as a field in a time of drought. But then we can do as this psalmist did and turn our thoughts to the LORD and contemplate: His eternal sovereignty, His enduring reputation, His compassion, His favor on those He holds dear (including ourselves), the holy fear of Him that inspires deep reverence, and His response to the prayers of those in need. We should record His gracious response so that we can pass it on to future generations who will praise His glory. This is especially true because He has heard us from His throne on high, listened to the groans of prisoners, released those who were condemned to death, and shown mercy to crowds assembled to worship Him. We should also relate to Him personally by reviewing the course of our own lives, especially their brevity compared to His eternality, our powerlessness compared to His everlasting creativity and His vast power. We should conclude our musing with the fact that we who are His servants (and His personally adopted heirs) will be established and live in His presence forever. What a wonderful way to deal with depression and insomnia!
*Christ in the Psalms by Patrick Henry Reardon, pp. 101-102.
Prayer: Thank You, O LORD. that You do hear every one of my prayers. You always answer with either “Yes,” “No,” “Wait, it’s not the right time yet,” or “I’m waiting on you to do what I’ve told you.” Thank You, Jesus, that because You were born, lived, and died as a human being, You know what it is like to experience difficulties that disturb a person in the ways this psalm depicts. Because You knew the Scriptures and the Father, I’m sure that You did just as this psalmist did and looked to Him whenever You were troubled. Please, Holy Spirit, help me to do the same. By Your grace I will. May You, LORD, be honored through how I respond to troubles. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will read Psalm 102 aloud the next time I am depressed or suffer from insomnia.
- I will discuss this psalm with my spouse or a close friend the next time we face a difficulty in life.
- I will gather with others (such as at my church or small group of believers) to praise the LORD for how He has heard and answered our prayers.
- I will write out how God has worked in my life similar to Psalm 102 so that I can remember and pass it on to others, especially the next generation.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.