The Psalms, in a unique way, provide help and comfort for those who suffer, whether from loneliness, oppression, sin, illness or despair. They offer hope and consolation in the face of desperation. God is there; He knows and understands. And with the psalmist we seek the solace He affords.
“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, 0 LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (Psa. 130:1).
“The Psalter has survived the change of time, displacement of culture, and betrayal of translation for one primordial reason: age after age, lonely sufferers have been able to identify their own unspoken sorrow. Pain may unite and create a bond of fellowship — after the crisis is ended. But a man in misery is alone” (Terrien: The Psalms, p. 143).
“Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall praise him: the health of my countenance and my God” (Psa. 42:11; 43:5)
God our refuge
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed” (Psa. 46:1,2).
We are not alone. That is one of the primary lessons of the Psalms. David knew and appreciated this truth, and it sustained him though all the difficulties of life. He understood that he needed the Lord. He obtained joy in the midst of his suffering, because he felt the friendly presence of his God. That presence lifted him out of the solitude and despair of the moment. More than that, he was able to conquer doubts and fears and transcend that self-centeredness that is often our greatest enemy.
“Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul…In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psa. 86:3,4,7,11).
The source of strength
“I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psa. 18:1,2).
One of the essential lessons we must learn in this life is our need for God. We can’t do it alone. We cannot overcome sin without His help. For most of us, this realization comes only after many failures. Reading and reflecting upon the Psalms should help us to make reliance upon God part of our own frame of mind.
We are told of the man who trusts in himself. “Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength.” Such a man is doomed to spiritual and eternal failure, whatever he may seem to accomplish now. For his part the psalmist can say, “lam like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever” (Psa. 52:8).
Prayer of the troubled
Psalm 102 is an example of a prayer of the burdened, pouring out their troubles to a sympathetic God. “Yahweh, hear my prayer, let my cry for help reach you; do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble…Ashes are the bread I eat, what I drink I lace with tears…” (vs. 1,9, Jerusalem Bible).
When we suffer, we may feel that our pain or sorrow is unique. Reading the Psalms, we find that we are not alone. Often it is David himself who joins us in our misery. And always, his Psalms provide the source of our healing. “Put this on record for the next generation, so that a race still to be born can praise God: Yahweh has leaned down from the heights of His sanctuary, has looked down at earth from heaven, to hear the sighing of the captive, and to set free those doomed to die” (Psa. 78).
As if to remind us that we are not the center of the universe — and that we are associated with a greater hope, the prayer of Psalm 102 includes this plea. “Rise, take pity on Zion! …Then will the nations fear the name of Yahweh and all kings on earth respect your glory; when Yahweh builds Zion anew” (Jerusalem Bible).
The persecuted
Many generations of believers have been persecuted for their faith. In fact, disciples in every age have to endure persecution in one form or another. The Psalms have provided support and encouragement in the midst of such trial. “Plead my cause, 0 LORD, with them that strive with me…Draw out the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me; say unto my soul, I am thy salvation…and my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation” (Psa. 35).
Psalms 25 and 37 are especially helpful in this regard. They are acrostic Psalms, that is, each verse or set of verses begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. They are written in this way as a literary device to enhance memorization.
“Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 0 my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me…Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted” (Psa. 25).
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psa. 37).
The penitent
When we have transgressed or when we are burdened by our own feeling of unworthiness, the Psalms offer the prescription for healing. Psalm 51 is perhaps the greatest example of this form of supplication. The superscription tells us that it was written after Nathan the prophet had called David to account for his sin with Bathsheba.
This Psalm reflects the proper attitude of the penitent: sincerity, humility and trust in the mercy of God. It represents the true repentance of one who has sinned. There is, above all, no self justification.
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions…For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me…For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.”
While the Psalm is a very personal prayer of supplication, the concluding thought is again for the fulfillment of the eternal will of God. “Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build Thou the walls of Jerusalem…”
Psalm 22
Our Savior was one of those who found comfort in the Psalms. Some of them were especially fashioned for his knowledge and benefit. One of these is the 22nd Psalm, and it supplies the very words our Lord spoke on the cross. In the midst of his suffering, he remembered these words, and they spoke, not only of his agony, but also of his ultimate victory.
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?…I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax…The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet.”
Many years before, the suffering of Messiah had thus been revealed. Men and women of spiritual discernment, like David, understood the sacrifice that would be made on their behalf. The Messiah would triumph, but first he would have to be the suffering servant.
“But be not thou far from me, O Yahweh! O thou, my strength, haste thee to help me!” If his Father had, for the moment, forsaken him, He was still near at hand. Deliverance would come. There would be a resurrection morning.
“I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee…For the kingdom is the LORD’s, and he is governor among the nations…A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and declare His righteousness unto a people yet unborn, that he hath done this” (vs. 22,28,30-31).
Psalm 110 reveals other aspects of Messiah — as king and priest. “Sit at my right hand and! will make your enemies a footstool for you. Yahweh will force all your enemies under the sway of your scepter in Zion” (vs. 1-2, Jerusalem Bible).
The love of God
David, in his life and in the Psalms, gives us true insight in considering the relationship we should have with our Heavenly Father. The Lord is truly a living God, a God of understanding and feeling. He wants us to love Him as well as to honor and obey Him. He desires that we depend wholly upon Him, for without that willingness to let Him rule in our lives, our fleshly impulses will take over.
The development of this state of mind depends upon our exercising all the aspects of supplication. Praise Him, let our prayers for help ascend day and night. Seek His forgiveness when we fail; believe that He is ready and willing to forgive — that He will help us to persevere, to gain the victory over sin, over ourselves.
“My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth…The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (Psa. 121).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One