Taking the edge off before going forth into the fray (of everything else that needs to be encoded and refined)
Psalm 102
The LORD’s Eternal Love
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
In our own days of trouble, affliction, anxiety, uncertainty, and/or just ultimately fear… First off, well, look – just to clarify, it’s no sin to fear; Staying in it is what really hurts us and others.
In these days, may we find it in us, and/or may we heed the call, and yield to the Spirit – let us call out to the Lord in prayer. Let us cry out to Him for aid.
The rest of the world shall ignore us, and we may have our own doubts… but let us call unto the Lord, let us seek Him anyway.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
Let us cry out to the Lord, and let us not hold back in our own emotions. Let’s understand that we are aware of how others may spurn at our being open, and/or they may even take advantage of our weakness… But let us cry out to the Lord, and let us be fully open about it. We can trust Him. He not only hears us, but He listens to us, and not only does He listen to us, but He is willing to listen to us.
The all-knowing Creator knows all about it, but it’s another thing for us to open up about it from our perspective, pouring it all out so we not only give our side of the story, but we also let Him in on what we think takes priority in the situation. The all-knowing Creator is our Father, and we can trust Him that much to be vulnerable with Him.
I mean, Christ was willing and able to let it all out – In Gethsemane, and at the cross, and in all His time here with us. He loves us that much that we can let it all out to Him. As He pours Himself to us, we are able to pour ourselves into Him.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long; Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.
We talk about what we feel, and we are also able to let out what we see and hear. We are able to let out what we think – up to how it feels, even if it feels like it’s all coming from Him.
But we take heart! For we know that in the end, everything good comes from the Lord (consequently, everything that comes from the Lord is good) – and, let this be emphasized: He adds no sorrow to it. The way I see this is that there MAY be sorrow, but in the end, it will ALL be good.
Trust Him, trust Him! Let the pain, let the fear, let the loss and the rejection serve as motivation for us to cry out to Him all the more – Let it all serve as even more cause for us to draw closer to Him, or, rather, for us to realize that even in these moments of threat and nothing, He is all the more near to us.
In the days of weakness, let our eyes be open to His strength.
His power is indeed made perfect in our weakness.
12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,
21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
We give all glory and praise to our Father, all the more today, as we go through this Scripture from the light of Christ, and from the standpoint of His finished work, and our absolute righteousness.
For in our crying for a response from the Most High, we cannot but be thankful for what response He has already given – Christ, and His finished work. The manger, the cross, the empty tomb, and the ascension were all sequential and time-bound, but through all this Christ ensured impact absolute, impact everlasting and eternal.
The prisoner has been heard. The condemned has been considered. And we all cry out and declare His glory and grace across the earth. He became sin in order for us to become His righteousness. He has reconciled us and cleansed us for all time.
23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
24 I said, “O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.
27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.”
In our affliction, let us fix our eyes on His perfection.
In our isolation, let us appreciate His presence.
In our shaking, let us stand firm upon the Foundation.
He is the same, and His years will have no end.
Halleluyah.
God bless you.
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