SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
5/16/2012 9:40:48 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Defend your cause before the Lord and wait for His Answer
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 88:10-18
Message of the verses: Dr. Wiersbe wrote at the end of his introduction from Psalm 88 these words to help us better understand the contents of Psalm 88: “No matter how we feel and no matter how impossible our circumstances, we can always come to the Lord with our burdens.”
Defend Your Cause Before the Lord (vv. 10-14): “10 ¶ Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah. 11 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. 14 O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?”
“10 ¶ Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude 11 Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? 12 Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? 13 O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. 14 O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? (NLT)
In my study of the book of Psalms I have read from David’s writings similar things that I see in this section of Psalm 88, and there are similar things from the book of Job also. Heman is saying that he can be of no use to the Lord if he is dead, for those who die cannot do anything for those who are alive. “9 “In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you. 10 With one voice they all cry out, ’Now you are as weak as we are! 11 Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.’” (Isaiah 14:9-11) Isaiah was speaking of a king in these verses, but it teaches us that the spirits of the dead will not arise in the world of the dead and do the Lord’s bidding.
In his commentary on this section Dr. Wiersbe quotes a Scottish minister who lived from 1600-1661 and suffered much for the Lord. Samuel Rutherford wrote: “It is faith’s work to claim and challenge lovingkindnesses out of all the roughest strokes of God.” He also said: “Why should I tremble at the plough of my Lord that maketh deep furrows in my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman; He purposeth a crop.” This surely fits in well with psalm 88.
Heman knew that he would be of no use to the Lord if he died, and so he wanted the Lord to answer his prayer so that he could continue on serving Him while alive. His desire seems to be that he knew that there was still work for him to do for the Lord and he wanted to do that work.
I knew a very godly lady who served the Lord all of her life. She was never married and worked at a mission’s agency with a reputation that was impeccable to all who knew her. It was not long after she retired that she became ill and died. She told me that she felt that there was more work for her to do for the Lord, but as I look back at her life I believe in my heart that she had finished her task and is now in a better place and will someday receive her reward from her Savior and Lord. I believe all believers have certain work to do for the Lord and when that work is done there is no use in staying here on this earth. See Ephesians 2:10.
Wait for the Lord’s Answer (vv. 15-18): “15 I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. 16 Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. 17 They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. 18 You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness.”
“15 I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. 16 Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. 17 They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. 18 You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.” (NLT)
This is a very sad psalm, as we see that there seems like nothing in Heman’s life that was not difficult for him as he was sick from his youth. I mentioned that the psalm seems to end without help, but I know that is not the case for Heman was a believer who had a tough row to hoe, yet it is comforting to know that he was a true believer in the Lord and would someday see the Lord face to face. Job 13:5 reads a follows “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” Psalm 27:13-14 reads as follows, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary with these words: “The Lord always has the last word, and it will not be ‘darkness.’ We should never doubt in the darkness what God has taught us in the light.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I know that a lot of people quote Romans 8:28 and that is what I want to do here for I believe that it fits well after reading this psalm. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Believing God in the most difficult times of life takes faith, faith to realize that the Lord is in control of all things and His desire is for us to trust Him in every situation.
My Steps of Faith for Today: It is the difficult times that the Lord uses to teach me contentment, and my desire is to be a teachable servant of the Lord.
5/16/2012 10:24:04 AM
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