Psalm 102: Faith Seeks God through Pain

​Key Verse
2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!
 
Meditation
When the darkness of affliction hides God’s face, God’s people must trust His sovereign grace. Faith seeks God in pain, trusting His promises in the rain, claiming His promises for our gain. 
 
The Psalmist’s depression and darkness is circumstantial and physical. He cannot find God’s face and feels abandoned (vv. 1-2), is alone in the wilderness (v. 8), sleepless (v. 7), taunted by enemies (v. 8), drinking tears (v. 9), and walking in darkness (v. 10). He is achy in his bones (v. 3), discouraged in his heart (v. 6), and thrown down in the dumps (v. 1). 
 
“But You…” are the two words turning the Psalm, bridging the gap between pain and promise. The light of God’s eternal kingship shines in the psalmist’s darkness (v. 12). God will arise and have pity (v. 13), and hear prayers (v. 17). God is faithful even when we cannot see or feel Him.
 
The Psalmist holds to promise before turning to petition and praise (vv. 18-24) that completely re-orients his perspective (vv. 25-28). Troubles and turbulence of life are temporary. God remains unchanged. Circumstances change but God remains the same.  The author of Hebrews equates this psalm with Jesus when preaching to a persecuted church (Hebrews 1:10-12). Jesus is enthroned forever, and He is making all things new (Revelation 21:5).
 
Darkness turns to dawn when we preach truth to our hearts, reorienting our minds to the person, promises, and perspective of the Lord. God’s grace gives us space to hope in the difficult place where we seek His face to reconcile our pain and His promises.
 
Today’s Reading
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you!
2 Do not hide your face from me
    in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
    answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3 For my days pass away like smoke,
    and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
    I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of my loud groaning
    my bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
    like an owl of the waste places;
7 I lie awake;
    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
    those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
    and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
    for you have taken me up and thrown me down.
11 My days are like an evening shadow;
    I wither away like grass.
 
12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
    you are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will arise and have pity on Zion;
    it is the time to favor her;
    the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her stones dear
    and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will fear the name of the Lord,
    and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the Lord builds up Zion;
    he appears in his glory;
17 he regards the prayer of the destitute
    and does not despise their prayer.
 
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
    so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19 that he looked down from his holy height;
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
    and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
    he has shortened my days.

24 “O my God,” I say, “take me not away
    in the midst of my days--
you whose years endure
    throughout all generations!”
25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27     but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
    their offspring shall be established before you.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the darkness and depression of the psalmist experiencing daybreak in God and His promises?
 
-Have you experienced depression, dark days of circumstantial, physical, mental, and emotional darkness? Where do you turn?
 
 -How does the unchanging person of God, who is faithful to His promises, give you a renewed perspective?
 
-Where do you need to trust God’s grace and walk forward in hope? Who needs to join you on the journey of your walk from darkness to dawn?
 
Key Verse
2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!