You Are Not Hopeless

Hear me! Listen!

Desperation. Distress. Despair.

This is how the Psalmist starts his prayer in verse 1.  When we worry- when we despair or lose hope and our focus is on ourselves and our immediate situation.  We can’t see long term, and we neglect to look at life through an eternal lens. We lose sight of who God is- failing to see him as all powerful and sovereign, having a plan from the beginning of time to reconcile us to Himself and to work all things out “for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

We don’t necessarily know the situation of the Psalmist in chapter 102, but we can sense his pain and distress. “Hear my prayer!”…“Do not hide!”…“INCLINE YOUR EAR!” … Essentially bend down to listen because in my pain I cannot bear to move an inch.
 
I can’t imagine that we could read those words and in any way perceive that the psalmist is calm. What is evident, though, is that he has walked with the Lord for a long time.  Immediately we see that while he is in distress, he knows who can deliver him.  He runs swiftly to the throne of the Most High.  Because of his devotion we see his vision shift throughout the life of this psalm.  From lamenting to hope. From distress to restoration.  

Charles Spurgeon says of this passage, “the whole composition of Psalm 102 may be compared to a day which, opening with wind and rain, clears up at noon and is warm with the sun, continuing fine with intervening showers and finally closes with a brilliant sunset.”

I pray that we can respond the same way when we find ourselves in the middle of life’s unending breakers and waves that seemingly continue to crash down on us.  When “deep calls to deep” (Another lament from Psalm 42) and we cannot catch our breath or see the horizon due to the height of the swell.  

I pray that our next words are as the Psalmist says here in verse 12, “But you, O Lord, are enthroned above.”  I pray that we can somehow see through the veil and be blown away by the fact that God IS.

I pray that we are not afraid to approach God and embrace vulnerability.  We shouldn’t be afraid to express our deepest struggles to God.  He invites us to bring our pain, our questions, our doubts. But we cannot stay there!  We must anchor in God’s unchanging character.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Let us trust in His faithfulness in the midst of our instability.  Just as He restored Zion, He will restore us.  

Our trials are temporary, but His love endures forever.