May 31, 2017
WHEN TROUBLE COMES, CALL ON JESUS
Psalm 102
Estevan Molinar
Central Truth
We are promised suffering and persecution here on earth. But take heart and lean on God's promises as you are reminded of His faithfulness and the hope that we have as believers.
Key Verse | Psalm 102:11–12
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.
But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.
(Psalm 102:11-12)
Psalm 102
Do Not Hide Your Face from Me
A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD.
1
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry come to you!
2
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3
For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
5
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my flesh.
6
I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl
1
102:6
The precise identity of these birds is uncertain
of the waste places;
7
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8
All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9
For I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,
10
because of your indignation and anger;
for you have taken me up and thrown me down.
11
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.
12
But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.
13
You will arise and have pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
the appointed time has come.
14
For your servants hold her stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15
Nations will fear the name of the LORD,
and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16
For the LORD builds up Zion;
he appears in his glory;
17
he regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
18
Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
19
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21
that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22
when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
23
He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
24
“O my God,” I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
you whose years endure
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 remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28
The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 102
How many of you go along in life in constant fear of bad things happening to you? Getting laid off, dying, being lonely, getting a bad health diagnosis? The list goes on and on. Many of us have experienced the harsh reality of what this world has to offer. Thankfully, we can rest in the promises that our Father has for us.
Something I used to struggle with was having a superstitious view of God in my life. I used to convince myself that if I did what I thought God wanted me to do (nightly prayers, not lying, etc.), He would spare me from having to endure suffering. My view of God led me to see Him as someone who I had to bargain with. It left me with no room to rely on Him for strength or any reason to look forward to an amazing eternity with Him. 1 Peter 4:12 tells us to not be surprised at the trials we face; they're normal. Never buy the lie that following Christ frees you of suffering. Instead, buy the truth that Christ conquered sin and death, and because of His death and resurrection, we can look forward to an eternal glory with Him (2 Corinthians 4:17).
The psalmist in this chapter has the right idea on crisis management. While reading this psalm, I could picture him literally crying out to the Lord. He asks why, desperately seeks help, and then turns that fear into worship of God whom he knows will save him from his despair. The thing that this psalmist nails right on the head is that he understood his afflictions were temporary in the grand scheme of what God has in store. He says "I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever" (Psalm 102:11b-12a) and "Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain." (Psalm 102:25-26a)
Let's use this psalm today to turn our greatest despairs into worship of a Good Father who wants us to seek Him daily.
Discussion Questions
1. Read 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." Take some time to discuss the thought of God telling us that we will have suffering in this world. Does this scare you? How should we respond to this fear?
2. Read 1 John 5:14-15: "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him." Do you truly believe that Jesus hears all our prayers and cries for help? Meditate on 1 John 5:14-15, and ask God to help you pray boldly, knowing He hears us.
3. When was the last time you faced hardship, and how did you respond? How can you better react to these hardships?