Judges 13-14:20, John 1:29- 51, Psalm 102, Proverbs 14:15-16
I love the subtitle for Psalm 102, "A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the Lord." There are three main sections in this Psalm that we all can identify with: the agony of the person, the powers and character of God, and the promises of God. This is a sincere, heartfelt cry and the emotion is so easily felt. His affliction has affected life as he knows it: can't eat, heart shattered, can't sleep, only alone with his tears. Ugh. Life is hard. We all know it. We've all been through it. But in this Psalm, the writer recognizes the anxiety, and his response is towards God. He prayed to God, he cried, sought His face, and called upon the Lord; even when he was at the bottom.
He cried to God because He knew who God was. He turns his heartache and focus on his misery to the character and being of God. God is:
· Eternal- He was on the throne from the beginning to the end.
· Wrath – even when God pours out his wrath he is just.
· Unchanging – he remains, forever, generation to generation
· The God of Israel – Zion will not be forgotten: in Judges they were under the Philistines rule, lived under ruling countries for centuries, and still today they don't all follow God.
· Glorious – all kings and nations will one day revere His glory.
The writer knew God, celebrated God, and worshiped God even during the hardest times.
He knew God's promises were eternal and that His name would be declared forever and ever. My favorite verse in this psalm is verse 18, "Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord." This is for us!!! We are the future generation that this writer was thinking of centuries and centuries ago. This psalm starts with such a heavy, sad tone and it ends with hope and celebration! Even in the times we are in the "depths of despair" we must look to God and his promises. That is our hope.
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