Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 88

As one who has wrestled with the demons of depression for some thirty years, I can relate closely to the words of the psalmist in Psalm 88. Listen to his description of his pain.

Psalm 88:3-5
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.  I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength,  like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.

This man is near to death. Sickness is one of those things that can drive us to despair. But our mental and emotional health can be just as devastating. This is the type of desperation and despair that leads people to take their own life. The psalmist declares his soul is full of troubles and that type of despair can cause us to dwell dangerously close to death, especially when we lose all hope.

Psalm 88:6-8
You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah  You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape…

Notice that the writer states that it is God who has put him into this pit and it is God who caused his companions to shun him. Many well-intentioned Christians will argue that God is a god of love and this cannot be. But the Biblical truth reminds us that God is sovereign, thus even if God does not cause certain things to be, He allows them to. If God truly is all-powerful and sovereign, then He can prevent them from happening. The truth is this; many times it is our sin that has led us into the pit. The only thing that can separate us from God is sin. Yes, God is a god of love, but God is also a god of justice and wrath.

Not all sickness is a result of our own sin, but all sickness derives from sin. Since the Garden of Eden, man has lived in a fallen world and sinful state, thus sickness and death pervade our existence. Look around at the world. As the experts strive to find a motive for the Las Vegas shooting, the truth is the real motive is simply that evil exits and will possess men who do not seek the salvation of the Lord.

This psalm is a picture of a dark and depressed man. But it is not the picture of a lost man. Go back to the beginning of the psalm and see what he is doing here.

Psalm 88:1-2

O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.  Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!

This psalm is a prayer to God in the midst of the man’s despair. He knows God is his salvation.

Psalm 88:9
My eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.

Every day he prays to God. He prays day and night. He tells God exactly what he is thinking, holding nothing back. He is naked before God, humbled beyond measure. He simply tells God everything. And he lays out his questions.

Psalm 88:10-12
Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah  Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?  Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

He begins the day in prayer and in that prayer, He asks God why He has allowed these sorrows to overtake him?

Psalm 88:13-18
But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.  O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?  Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.  Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me.  They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together.  You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

This psalm does not give us the answers to all the questions he asks. Why not? Because in this psalm is all the answer we need. The answer is faith. The answer is found throughout scripture.

Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

My personal battle with depression has gone on now for some thirty years. I have come to embrace it. Why? Because I have learned that it simply is a tool to drive me to Jesus. I know that much of my own troubles are consequences of my own sinful nature and the rest are the result of other’s sin. But I also know that Jesus came, not to save the righteous, but to save sinners. This is good news. This is where I place my hope.

Today, in whatever struggles you face, you need to know in Jesus there is hope, even when it looks hopeless. In this life, things may never be what you wish they were, but faith in Christ looks forward to the eternal, not the temporal.

The answer is to do as the psalmist, cry out day and night before God. Jesus never promised an easy life. I close with His Words.

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

There is a peace that transcends all understanding and it is only found in Jesus. He tells us how to find it.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Come to Him.