Read Psalm 102 at Bible Gateway.
As I was reading Psalm 102 today, I couldn’t help but think of the question that was asked of Jesus in Luk 13:1-2. Did those people – Galileans in Jerusalem who were offering their sacrifices to God according to the Law, then Pilate killed them and mingled their blood with their sacrifices – were those people worse sinners than everyone else to have this grief and trouble come upon them? No, Jesus answered (Luk 13:3-5).
Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry come to You.
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. Psa 102:1-2
You know, sometimes trouble comes upon the righteous, the servants of the Most High, who are going about their business and living righteously. Sometimes we have days, or weeks, or months, when for whatever reason, our hearts are stricken and withered, so that we forget to eat our bread.
Notice that after the psalmist pours out his complaint to the Lord, he doesn’t end there. Beginning in verse 12, he reminds himself that no matter his circumstances, the LORD our God shall endure forever! Nations will fear the name of YHVH, and kings of nations will fear the glory of YHVH which will be revealed. This great LORD will have mercy on Zion. He will regard the prayer of His servants. He will hear their groaning and release them from death. Let the praise of God be continually in our mouths!
Jesus said that as long as we are in the world, we will have tribulation (Joh 16:33). We are living in the 6000 years in which the world is ruled by man and by sin; in which all creation groans because of the curse of sin we are living under (Rom 8:22).
But then He said, Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world! We can pray for a change in our circumstances, as our Psalmist did, and we can exercise the authority of Jesus over the power of the devil in our circumstances, and we can even endure our circumstances with patience, content in whatever situation we find ourselves, because we know who our God is. The LORD our God endures forever!
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