May 31
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PSALM 88 O LORD, WHY DO YOU CAST MY SOUL AWAY?
13 But I, O LORD, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.– Psalm 88:13-18
________________________________________WHEN DARKNESS SURROUND ME by ILMA
When darkness surrounds me, I feel your absence
Why have you hidden your face from me; I feel helpless
O Lord, I cry out to you as I suffer these terror
Why have you allowed me to be swept over?
Fear envelopes my whole being when I don’t have your presence
I plead you to deliver me from all these betrayals from my friends
I trusted these people, shared all my gifts and formed bonds with them
But the wicked have used my generosity use it to supply their needs.
When darkness surrounds me, I feel restrained and fearful
Hold my hand so I can follow you to the path for the faithful
Why have you abandoned me Lord, come to my rescue
Bring back that Holy Presence so I can have my mind renewed.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it so easy to wallow in our feelings? How can we combat this fleshly desire to cater to it?
Tag Archives: PSALM 88
PSALM 88 ARE YOUR WONDERS KNOWN IN DARKNESS?
May 30
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PSALM 88 ARE YOUR WONDERS KNOWN IN DARKNESS?
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? – Psalm 88:8-12
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MY EYES GROW DIM THROUGH SORROW by ILMA
My Lord, I cry out to you as I am in this chasm of darkness
You have allowed my closest friends to continue their wickedness
I feel so isolated and trapped in this silence that you give me
My eyes grow dim through the pain, sorrow and adversity
How long will you let me suffer Lord, have I not been faithful?
Lord, I call on you daily and yet they continue all their ridicules
Have mercy on me and let me feel your presence again
Show the enemy that their tactics are all in vain
I will not survive this world if your presence is ambiguous
Give me strength to continue to overcome this darkness
Lead me to a place where your assurance of your love is present
Deliver me out of this pit where I cannot experience your presence.
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REFLECTION
• Why does the psalmist sound so desperate and depressed in this individual lament?
• What was the cause of the psalmist’s grief when he wrote this psalm?
• Why is it important not to dwell on our feelings as this psalm illustrates?
PSALM 88 LET MY PRAYER COME BEFORE YOU
May 29
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PSALM 88 LET MY PRAYER COME BEFORE YOU
O LORD, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah– Psalm 88:1-7
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I COME TO YOU LORD WHEN MY SOUL IS FULL OF TROUBLE BY ILMA
I come pouring out my anguish and distress to you my Lord
Hear out my plea for I am overcome with troubles in this world
Day in and day out, so many forces go against my quest for peace
There is so much corruption around and an abundance of injustice
How long will you let me be marinated in such wickedness?
I cry out to you Lord, deliver me from such unrighteousness
Give me courage to face the wrath that you have laid upon me
All those who used to be my friend have become an enemy
I have been weak and am overwhelmed with much sorrow
Help me to rely on you alone and not worry about tomorrow
Grant me wisdom to never lose hope no matter how grim it is
I believe that you are always there to deliver me and overcome sin.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it wise to go to the Lord when you are beset by troubles and pain?