Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 2-044 Sunday 03 Mar 2002

Reading: PSALM 102 – SINGING IN THE DARKNESS

(From ‘Encounter with God’ Bible Reading Notes)

How often do you find that you are talking about yourself in your prayers? Read this psalm and learn a better way.

If you omit verses 12-22, you are left with a prayer which exactly reflects the title of the psalm. It is the language of suffering and could have been put into the mouth of Job or Jeremiah, someone who was in great pain, physical or psychological, and without the support of family and friends. The first part is all about ‘me’. Count the number of times that ‘I’ ‘me’ and ‘my’ are used. Then contrast that with the language of the latter section (vs 23-28). The affliction continues but now the focus is on God the Creator who is alive for evermore.

The change of mood can only be explained by the hymn that is inserted between the two stanzas. The misery of personal pain is contrasted with the love and care that God shows to Zion and its people. He has a gracious plan for Jerusalem (as he still has, in my judgement) and he looks with compassion on his people until the appointed time shall come (vs 13,16). The Lord hears the groans (see Exod 3:7; Judg 2:18) and responds to the prayers of the destitute, so there is no need to wallow in self-pity or grief even though we have a natural tendency to enjoy doing so.

Like the psalmist, we, too, can be transformed and lifted out of ourselves by the singing of a hymn that gives glory to God. Our anguish may not disappear, our pains may still be there, but we shall be enabled to look beyond ourselves to the Lord who cares for us and knows the end from the beginning (v25-28). Life is no longer one long shadow, a story of tragic decline (v 11). Instead the writer can actually accept that it was a loving God who broke his strength (v 23), but will one day enable him to live for ever in his presence (v 28).

Read Hebrews 1:10-12, and spend some time praising our Lord for his eternal greatness.

– Bishop John B Taylor

Copyright Scripture Union, 2002

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