Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
There's Hope
Today's Verse:
But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. ~Psalm 88:13
Psalm 88 is a psalm that teaches us how God builds us through discouragement. The psalmist describes his plight as being hopeless. It unveils to us the reality of circumstances, trials, and problems that do not appear to have a bottom. This can include someone who has been diagnosed with an illness where the doctors cannot offer much in the way of remedies for healing. It can include someone who has lost a loved one and he feels like life is not worth living. However, one of the key verses for us in this psalm is v. 13. This verse teaches us the vital importance of continued praying even when things look hopeless. This morning, we are encouraged that there’s hope.
We see the depths of hopelessness.
A hopeless situation is when there are no concrete answers or solutions before us. It is when things go from bad to worse and still have worse to go. It is when bad news is the norm and not the exception. Consider the words of the psalmist as he describes how hopeless he felt: “For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength... Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction.” We see someone who feels like everyone has given up on him, including God. The depths of hopelessness are when you dread the mornings and fear the evenings.
We see the despair in hopelessness.
Hopelessness can result in a person feeling like he is ready to die. “I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.” The person who feels like things are hopeless does not want to continue suffering. He is ready to die. The psalmist felt a sense of hopelessness for so long, he desired death since the time when he was a youth. Hopelessness causes you to lose your bearings and a diminished vision. There is no motivation for doing anything. He feels like he is always in the dark and there is no light for his path. He feels forsaken by close acquaintances. He even feels like God has cast him off and wants nothing to do with him. While we know that this is not true, that’s how he feels.
We see the duty in hopelessness.
So, when you are in the “free fall of hopelessness,” what are you supposed to do? Despite his hopeless situation, the psalmist did what all of us should do: pray, and pray without ceasing. “LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee... But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.” We have a duty to tell the Lord every day, and as often as we can, about our circumstance. We must pray as if we are in a trial, or else God will send us trials to teach us to pray. The psalmist was learning to pray circumspectly. He learned to pray specifically. He learned to pray persistently and pour out his heart before God. No one knows more about the depths of sorrow that you are in than God.
We see the development in hopelessness.
We do not see God answering the psalmist. We do not see the psalmist coming out of his tough predicament. However, there is a powerful lesson for us. His praying was growing him in three areas. It grew him in the grace of God. God’s strength was being made perfect in this man’s weakness. It grew him in patience. He learned to wait on God. He learned that the trying of our faith worketh patience. It grew him in his conformity to the Lord. It drew him closer to God. Closeness to Jesus leads to likeness to Jesus. Hopelessness is never hopeless. There’s always hope.
Let us never forget that all things do work together for God’s good. God’s good is for our benefit and for His glory. Remember, our hope is in Jesus.
Have a hope-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Job 8-10
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