Tag Archives: trouble

The Darkest Psalm

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Psalm 88, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 88

Verses 9-18

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 (NIV).

Reflection

Psalm 88 is the darkest of all the psalms. Many of the psalms are bright and cheery, filled with joy and praise. If I were to assign a color to them, I would paint them bright yellow, dappled with hues of orange and red. On the other hand, Psalm 88 draws from a much darker palette of black, grey and brown. This psalm is colored by loss, rejection and sorrow.

Chris Kenedy 2016-07-27

Lake cottage view — photo by Chris Kennedy

Many psalms spring from a place of grief, trouble and distress. This is only fitting since every life has such moments. Usually the psalmist pours out his troubles and his complaint before God, but he ends on a positive note—a note of hope. But Psalm 88 does not follow this pattern. It ends on a downer. You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend.

What are we to make of this ending? The sad reality is that not every book has a happy ending. Not every personal story has the Hollywood ending that we would like. Tragedy is real. Tragedy can strike anyone. We can live in a pretend world that says it isn’t so, but we are fooling only ourselves. This psalm adds a dark note of real-life integrity to the Book of Psalms.

But in the middle of it all—in the middle of his dark night of the soul—the psalmist takes his stand. But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Sometimes we don’t have answers. Sometimes all we have is prayer.

Response: LORD God, when I am down, I cry to you for help. You are my hope when all hope is gone. Come to me in the dark times of my life. At such times I need you the most. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you going through a dark time? Do you find help in prayer?

In the Lowest Pit

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Psalm 88, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 88

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.  A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

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 (NIV).

Reflection

There are 150 psalms in the Book of Psalms and one of the most remarkable things about them is their emotional span. They range from giddy heights of joy and praise to great depths of depression and sorrow. The full array of human emotion and experience is on display. Whatever state you find yourself in, there’s a psalm for that—a psalm for every situation and human need. If you are in desperate straits, there’s a psalm for that. If you are soaring in the presence of God, there’s a psalm for that too. They reflect our need for God and our desire to connect with Him in all of life’s experiences.

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As darkness falls — Petrie Island Park — photo by David Kitz

Psalm 88 is a cry for help from the deepest pit of human need. Hear the psalmist’s cry of anguish: 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 confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief.

For reasons that we are not told, the psalmist feels trapped in the worst of circumstances. At times I think we all have been there—feeling alone with no one to turn to. In such times, there is no one to turn to but the LORD. In our time of despair He does not reject us or turn us away. He is a God who comforts us, even as Paul, the apostle declares, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

If you are in the depths of depression or despair follow the example of Heman, the psalmist. Call out to God. He is listening. He reaches to the lowest pit.

Response: LORD God, I need your comfort. Hear my prayer and answer me. In this time of sorrow show me a sign of your favor. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you currently facing a time of trouble or sorrow? May I pray for you?

Safe on top of a mighty Rock

12 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Tuesday's Truth

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In times of trouble, you will protect me. You will hide me in your tent and keep me safe on top of a mighty rock (Psalm 27:5, CEV).

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Remic Rapids Park, Ottawa, ON, balanced rock sculptures by John Ceprano — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is rock.

Here is an Encarta Dictionary definition for the word precarious. Precarious: 1. unsafe, dangerously unstable, unsteady, uncertain, or insecure. 2. not well founded, based on uncertain premises or unwarranted assumptions.

The rock sculptures of John Ceprano, as seen in the photo above, are a vivid picture of the word precarious. The rocks are delicately balanced. Setting them in these positions takes deft precision, incredible skill and a great deal of patience. On the evening when I took this photo, John was working on a new balanced sculpture. Three times it collapsed in a jumbled heap.

John’s rock sculptures remind me of this verse from the Psalms:

In times of trouble, you will protect me. You will hide me in your tent and keep me safe on top of a mighty rock (Psalm 27:5, CEV).

This verse seems like it contains a contradiction. On the one hand it says the LORD will hide and protect me in His tent. But within in that tent He will keep me safe on top of a mighty rock. It’s hard to hide on top of a rock.

There is nothing precarious about my life if it is hid in God—if it’s safe within His tent. There I can stand on top of my mighty Rock.

Response: LORD God, I’m thankful for the security I have in you. Troubles may come, but I am safe within you. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you view your salvation? Are you safe or precarious?

From Your Temple

24 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Thursday's Thought

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I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer (Psalm 18:6, CEV).

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Beyond the Door – photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is prayer.

Today’s photo speaks powerfully to me. It shows the sunrise as seen through the open double doors of the country church where I grew up on the prairies. God is not only in his temple. His glory is shining forth across the earth and the sky.

When we are in distress, we can call out to God and He responds. Often He will give us a sign of His presence. We can see that in today’s verse from the Psalms:

I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer (Psalm 18:6, CEV).

Jesus is our example. In his great suffering he called out to his heavenly Father. And his Father heard and answered his prayer. But Jesus still had to endure the agony of the cross.

But thanks be to God! The glory of the resurrection lies beyond the suffering and beyond the open door. Before us is the door to eternal life that Jesus opened.

Response: LORD God, in my time of need I call out to you. In your mercy answer me, just as you answered the prayers of Jesus, your son. Give me a sign of your presence with me. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the Lord answered your prayers from His temple?

Turn and Come

18 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

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Turn and come to my rescue. Show your wonderful love and save me, LORD (Psalm 6:4, CEV).

Eric E.Wright 13

Lake Ontario surf – photo by Eric E. Wright

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is salvation.

In today’s verse from the Psalms, the psalmist pleads with God to, “Turn and come to my rescue.”

Though I don’t doubt the psalmist’s sincerity, I wonder who really needs to do the turning. Does God turn His back on us, or is it we who turn our back on God?

From personal experience I can say I am prone to walk away from God until…

Until I get in trouble, and then I come running back to Him pleading to be rescued.

Fortunately, God continues to show us His wonderful love despite our blunders. He is the LORD, who saves us from ourselves.

Response: LORD God, thank you for being the God of my salvation. You have rescued me over and over again. You are a kind and loving Savior. Amen.

Your Turn: Is your heart turned to God or are you prone to wander?

 

My Guilt Is Not Hidden From You

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Psalm 69, Psalms

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Reading:                                           Psalm 69

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

Verses 1-5

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you (NIV).

Reflection

Above all else Psalm 69 is a plea for help. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

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Future Site of a Mass Resurrection, Landestreu Cemetery, Landestreu, SK — photo by Donald Adam

Have you ever been neck deep in trouble? I’ve been there and it’s not an entirely pleasant experience. I can recall hanging upside down in my car, which was sitting on its roof in a snow-covered ditch. My wife was suspended upside down in the driver’s seat beside me.

Suddenly finding yourself upside down after a high-speed-icy skid can be unsettling. I recall unfastening my seatbelt so I could reverse my position and sit upright on the interior of the car roof. Opening the car doors was impossible due to the snow jammed up on the outside. There we sat, car tires in the air, as the sun began to set.

We had two life lines: a mobile phone and a direct line to Jesus. Both worked flawlessly. Within minutes a young couple helped us out of the car. Later that evening we drove our flipped car back into the city undamaged. There was nothing to indicate we were in a rollover, not even a scratch on the car body.

This true account serves as a reminder to me that God hears us when we pray. When we are in over our head—when we are neck deep and beyond—we can call out to God.

God did not save us because we are faultless. As the psalmist says, “You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.” God saves us because of His great mercy.

Response: LORD God, thank you for showing us mercy when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for coming to rescue the likes of me. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the Lord helped you when you were neck deep in trouble?

Are you carrying or casting your cares?

23 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Psalm 55, Psalms

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Reading:                                           Psalm 55

 (Verses 16-23)

As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.

 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.

My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.
But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you (NIV).

Reflection

The phone call wasn’t good news. After our 7,000 km trip to western Canada an oil change was in order, and my wife volunteered to take our car to have that service done. She called back with the news that the car needed new tires and there was a leak in the front end suspension system. Suddenly a routine oil change turned into a major expense, and this all comes so soon after the costs for our trip. Consequently, these words from Psalm 55 have added meaning for me this morning: Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you.

Lake Placid, NY -- David Kitz

Lake Placid, NY — David Kitz

These are minor troubles in the sight of God. He is more than willing to carry them. Speaking prophetically David invites us to cast our cares on the LORD. That includes unexpected bills and expenses.

One of my favorite leisure time activities is skipping rocks across the water. There’s something unnatural about a stone dancing across the water. Stones are supposed to sink, not hop across the waves. But when they are cast with enough force and with the right technique they do the impossible. They dance across the water.

Notice there is a promise attached to those cares that we cast on the LORD. This is the LORD’s promise: He will sustain you. He will sustain us—sustain us in the midst of the impossible. Until like that dancing rock, we reach the other side.

Response: LORD God, I cast my worries and cares on you. I am so thankful that you care about the details of my life. With the psalmist, David, I can say, “But as for me, I trust in you.” Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have cares that you need to cast onto the LORD today?

Our Refuge and Strength

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Psalm 46, Psalm 46, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

(Verses 1-7)

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress (NIV).

Manhatten Skyline 2014-11-10Reflection

Why are you confident? Confidence is a key ingredient in the life of any child of God. If we lack confidence, we lack faith. In fact, the word confidence is rooted in faith. Confidence is derived from the Latin word fide, which means faith. It is etymologically linked to words like fidelity and fiduciary—words that stand for trust and true faithfulness. But this faithfulness, fidelity and confidence come as a result of a relationship.

If we have no relationship with someone, how can we trust them? How can we have confidence in them or their actions?

Here in Psalm 46, the psalmist expresses his complete confidence in God. He expresses that confidence despite the evidence around him. Hear his confident assertion: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is nothing quite as unnerving as an earthquake. I know this from personal experience. When the solid ground beneath one’s feet suddenly gives way and rolls and buckles, nerves begin to fray. But the psalmist remains confident because he knows the One who is in control—the One who remains unmoved and unshakable. In times of trouble we can turn to Him.

But we should not turn to God as a last resort. He is the God who is with us. Our confidence grows as we live with Him day by day, in good times and bad. We must experience Him as our rock of refuge and our shelter in the storm. Then we can say, “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Response: LORD God, I put my trust in you. In times of trouble you have been my help and my strength. I turn to you in confidence. You are my Savior and my God. Amen.

Your Turn: Has your confidence been shaken recently? Where have you turned for help?

Saving Grace for the Days Ahead

05 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by in Psalm 40, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 40

 (Verses 11-17)

Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;     

may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

For troubles without number surround me;     

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased to save me, LORD; come quickly, LORD, to help me.

May all who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame.  

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say, 

“The LORD is great!”

 But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the LORD think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay. (NIV)

Reflection

David begins Psalm 40 by praising the LORD for rescuing him from the slimy pit of the past. But David ends this psalm with a fresh appeal for God’s mercy. Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

Monarch Butterfly -- David Kitz

Monarch Butterfly — David Kitz

As we begin a new year, it is only fitting that we take time to praise God for what He has done for us in the past. Let us never forget that the LORD’s faithfulness has brought us to this point. We are not where we are today because of our own cleverness or ability. Every talent we have is a gift from God; every breath we take is a gift from the Giver of Life.

Yet again David appeals for God’s salvation. Be pleased to save me, LORD; come quickly, LORD, to help me.

By the grace of God I have experienced an initial point of salvation, just like David, but my salvation needs to be renewed from time to time. We all need to experience fresh surges of God’s grace and love. Grace (charis) in the full New Testament sense means much more than just unmerited favour. It means we are recipients of God’s providential gifting and power to live a maximized life under His caring guidance. There’s something supernatural about grace. It goes beyond human ability or ingenuity because it comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. When we call out to Him as David did, we are tapping into an ocean full of help, strength and possibilities beyond fathoming.

May that grace, that charis of God, be with you and upon you in 2015.

Response: LORD God, I need you as I face the year ahead. Equip me with divine grace for each day through the love and power of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you experienced God’s grace in the past year?

Are you troubled by sin?

03 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Psalm 38, Psalms

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Reading:                                  Psalm 38

(Verses 17-22)

For I am about to fall,     

and my pain is ever with me.

I confess my iniquity;     

I am troubled by my sin.

Many have become my enemies without cause;     

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

Those who repay my good with evil     

lodge accusations against me,     

though I seek only to do what is good.

LORD, do not forsake me;     

do not be far from me, my God.

Come quickly to help me,     

my Lord and my Savior. (NIV)

Reflection

Today’s reading is the concluding portion of Psalm 38. As noted previously, this entire psalm is a lament over sin, and the trouble and affliction it has brought into David’s life. Rather than blaming others or blaming God, David takes responsibility for his self-inflicted difficulties. In anguish of spirit he cries out, “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.”

Bilberry Creek -- David Kitz

Bilberry Creek — David Kitz

Are you troubled by your sin, or do you revel in it? Have the consequences of sin started to bite. The writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us that Moses “chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). There are pleasures in sin for a season, but the long term consequences are pain and death. It would appear from a full reading of this psalm that David is suffering some of the consequences of his misguided sin.

But David has the correct response. He confesses his sin and throws himself upon the mercies of God. Hear his humble plea, “LORD, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.”

God’s ears are always open to that kind of prayer. We may believe that we have fallen too far –that our sin is too great –that we have sunk too low. But God hears our cry and His grace is sufficient. His mercy knows no bounds. The blood of Christ flows to the lowest valley. He can cleanse the vilest heart.

Repentance is a wonderful gift, perhaps the greatest gift of all. At various times in his life David fell into the grip of sin. But David knew how to repent and as a result he found favour in the eyes of God. Discover the gift of repentance today. It’s more than feeling sorry for yourself. It’s a 180-degree turn from pursuing sin to pursuing God.

Response: LORD God, grant me the gift of repentance. I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross to wash me clean. Hallelujah! I want to pursue you, Lord. You are my help and my righteousness. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you troubled by sin? Have you found a remedy?