The first question I would like to reflect on is: "Why did the psalmist cry out to the Lord?" The answer is that the psalmist found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to pray. This situation can be considered in four aspects:

First, the reason the psalmist had no choice but to pray was because he was filled with difficulties.

Look at Psalm 88:3, 9, and 15: "For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draws near to the grave" (v. 3), "My eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you" (v. 9), and "From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair" (v. 15). The reason the psalmist cried out to God with great urgency was that his soul was overwhelmed with trouble, and he felt as though his life was being threatened. The nature of this trouble can be described as "depression and pain" (Park Yun-seon). The "pain" here could refer to "a painful illness" (as mentioned in the term "Mahalat-leannoth" in the title). The "depression" could be the despair caused by that painful illness. Therefore, the psalmist says, "My soul is full of trouble" (v. 3). One of the reasons for this is that the psalmist seems to have experienced much suffering from his youth and had come close to death many times (v. 15). In the midst of such difficulties, the psalmist prayed to the Lord daily, and as a result, he confessed, "My eyes are dim with grief" (v. 9) (Park Yun-seon).

As I meditate on these verses, the second verse of hymn 474 came to my mind: "This world is full of afflictions, and there has truly been no rest…" How many people around us are suffering from illness and pain? Are there not those who are standing at the crossroads of life and death? In times like these, what can we do? The words "I am only prayer" (Psalm 109:4) come to mind. When we are filled with troubles, all we can do is pray to God. Yes, when our troubles grow more and more, like the psalmist, we must cry out to God even more and do so every day.

Second, the reason the psalmist had no choice but to pray was because he was extremely lonely.

Why was the psalmist feeling extreme loneliness? There are two main reasons that we can find in the text today:

(1) He felt abandoned by God.

Look at Psalm 88:14 in the passage: "Why, Lord, do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?" As we have meditated on the Psalms every Wednesday, we often see the psalmist cry out, "Why have you forsaken me, O God?" Especially in times of suffering, when the psalmist called out to God and received no response, he felt abandoned by God. This feeling of abandonment was unbearable for him. In such a situation, he felt extreme loneliness. In his profound loneliness, the psalmist cried out to God with great urgency.

(2) He thought that the Lord had caused his loved ones and friends to be far away from him.

Look at verses 8 and 18: "You have taken my companions and made them repulsive to me; I am confined and cannot escape" (v. 8), and "You have taken my loved ones and friends from me; the darkness is my closest friend" (v. 18). Along with the feeling of being forsaken by God, the psalmist also felt abandoned by his beloved friends. He was truly in a miserable state.

Just like the psalmist, we too can feel abandoned by God, as well as by our loved ones or friends. Therefore, we may also experience extreme loneliness. If we find ourselves in such a situation now or in the future, we must cry out to God in the same way the psalmist did. Rather than being consumed by our loneliness, we should use this opportunity to withdraw from the world, enter into the wilderness, and earnestly seek God.

Thirdly, the reason the psalmist had no choice but to pray was because he was standing at the crossroads of life and death.

Look at Psalm 88:3b, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 15: "For my life is near the grave" (v. 3b), "I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength" (v. 4), "I am like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care" (v. 5), "You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths" (v. 6), "Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? (Selah)" (v. 10), and "From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair" (v. 15).

In practical terms, when we see our loved ones at the crossroads between life and death, we come to the painful realization that there is very little we can do. In other words, when I have encountered those standing between life and death, I have experienced my own helplessness, and I've come to understand that the only thing I can do is pray. This feeling was probably shared not only by me but also by those who were sick. I believe this because the psalmist himself confesses: "I am like one without strength" (v. 4). Why did the psalmist say he was like a person without strength? The answer comes in verse 5: "You have put me in the lowest pit... I am cut off from your care." When we stand at the crossroads of life and death, we may feel that God has forgotten us and is no longer watching over us, which can make us feel even more powerless, hopeless, and discouraged. Yet, even in the midst of despair, the psalmist continued to look to God and cry out to Him.

We need to be established as intercessors who urgently cry out to God while thinking of our loved ones who are at the crossroads between life and death. Furthermore, when we ourselves are faced with this crossroads, we must, just as the psalmist did in today’s passage, cry out to God even in such circumstances. Especially, just as Jesus prayed earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, we too must pray earnestly to God when we are at the crossroads of life and death.

Finally, the fourth reason why the psalmist had no choice but to pray was because he was under the wrath of the Lord.

Look at Psalm 88:7 and 16: "Your wrath has pressed heavily upon me, and all Your waves have brought me to ruin (Selah)" (v. 7), and "Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me" (v. 16). When thinking about the wrath of the Lord, I am reminded of the time I disciplined my dear youngest daughter, Ye-eun, last week. The reason I disciplined Ye-eun was because she hit her friends at school, even though she knew it was wrong. Even though I saw my beloved daughter’s tears and runny nose, I still disciplined her with the rod. I saw her face full of fear and heard her sobbing, yet I still carried out the discipline. Of course, I know this does not compare to the wrath of the Lord, but somehow, when thinking of God's wrath, like the psalmist, we may come to fear the Lord and be at a loss when we are in suffering. In such times, we cannot help but cry out to God. We confess our sins and pray for God's forgiveness.

Last Tuesday evening, while talking with Ye-eun, she confessed that she had hit another boy, breaking our promise. So, I entered her room with the rod, and Ye-eun, just like last week, tried to stand at attention on her bed, as she knew she had done something wrong. Her face was full of fear. I told her to sit on the bed, and we had a conversation. When I asked why she had hit the boy, she said he had pushed her. When I asked where she hit him, she said she hit him on the back. When I asked about the boy's reaction, she said there was no reaction from him. I then reminded her that, no matter how angry she was, it was wrong to hit others. I encouraged her to confess her sin to God and pray for forgiveness. Ye-eun then prayed to God saying, "I am so sorry ..." asking for forgiveness. After the prayer, I hugged her and told her that I loved her.

When we are under the wrath of God because of our sins, through His discipline, we must pray with reverence and fear of the Lord. We must realize that all of this has happened because of our sins. Because of God’s wrath, we find ourselves in trouble, and we may feel abandoned by God and by our loved ones. We may even feel that we are at the crossroads between life and death. In such moments, we must cry out to God. What about us? What are the circumstances that compel us to pray? Let us believe that the situations God has allowed us to experience are meant to lead us to prayer, and let us commit ourselves to prayer with all our strength.

The second point I would like to reflect on is: "In such a situation where the psalmist had no choice but to pray, who was the God that he desperately sought?" In other words, to what kind of God did the psalmist cry out with such fervor? The text today reveals at least two aspects of this.

First, the God that the psalmist sought desperately was the God of salvation.

Look at Psalm 88:1: “O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.” The expression “O Lord, God of my salvation” is a title that comes from the consciousness of someone who has repeatedly experienced God's salvation (according to Park Yoon-sun). The psalmist had experienced God's saving grace multiple times in the past by crying out to God in times of crisis. Because of these past experiences, he cried out to God again with the confidence that He would respond to his prayers in his present distress.

Second, the God that the psalmist sought desperately was the Lord who answers prayer.

Look at Psalm 88:13: “But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.” The psalmist cried out "only" to the Lord, because he knew that there was no one else who could respond to his prayer and bring him salvation. That’s why he sought God early in the morning. Our God is a God who listens to our cries (v. 2).

Tonight, let us pray to that same God. No matter what situation we may be facing, let us turn that situation into an opportunity for prayer and cry out to God. Our Lord, who listens to our prayers, is the God of our salvation. Let us pray to Him tonight.

 

 

 

After crying out to the Lord who listens to our cries...

 

 

Pastor James Kim

(Reflection on the God of salvation).