Psalm 88

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.

1^{[a] [b]}
O LORD, the God who saves me,
day and night I cry out before you.

2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

3 For my soul is full of trouble
and my life draws near the grave. ^[c]

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength.

5 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.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
Selah

8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;

9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, O LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do those who are dead rise up and praise you?
Selah

11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction ^[d] ?

12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death;
I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.

16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me;
the darkness is my closest friend.

Dellia: Lord, I pray that even in my darkest hour, I will never question You, but I will trust in You and believe that You have plans to prosper me and not to harm me!

Eunice: God Jesus, I dont want to be in darkness.. I dont want darkness to be my closest friend.. God, I pray tht i will always see ure light, have mercy on me! In times of helplessness when you confine me.. God I cry out to you that you will show me your light, and I will still believe that you are with me..

Huijuan: Dellia, i also wana pray ur prayer.....i wana whine and not go school.. arghh....i think 2 days ago i prayed for God to be abounding in love....i m undergoin training....God pls help me complete the process. Thank You! Help me to love to go school and not drag myself.

Aileen: Wa i think the psalmist always has his highs and lows and today the psalms seems to be such a low. This reminds me of the cycle in my life too! up down merry go round and yet he holds on to the unwavering hope in the lord. That's my prayer that after the high of the retreat, i will press on and remember the lord's goodness when i reach my lows

Chin Ling: Christians suffer too, don't they? In fact, ALL the more christians suffer.... but what makes us difference, and gives us the strength to dance in joy is our Hope in Him! Jesus has risen!

Crow: Reading this psalm and reading the background behind it from pastor william's blog, i find that whatever i have been through, no matter how low i was, cannot be compared to what the psalmist has been through. And yet, even when so cut off from God and his presence and blessings, he calls out to God all day long. If it was me, i might have given up and go my own way apart from God. It teaches me to always seek the Lord in good times and bad.

Sara: Today's psalm can be considerably related to what i felt this morning when i went to work. some dissapointment in work has made me into a cynical person, and im realising that im doubting God's work in this, or that He is able to bring the best out of these situations. And like the psalmist, im riding on ups and downs, depending on my boss' moods, whether things at work goes smooth, etc. Shucks... teach me Lord to find my joy in you and you alone!