April 23
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I CRY OUT DAY AND NIGHT 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.
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. – Psalm 88:1-9
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This psalm is a song written by the sons of Korah and an individual lament. It is suited for a person who is so overwhelmed with troubles that even his friends shun him, and who suspects that the Lord has rejected him as well.
This psalm speaks of my own heart these past days as I am confronted by so much uncertainties during this global pandemic. These sorrows are for the ones closest to me who do not know the Lord and has chosen a path that rejects Him and his word. I cry out day and night before the Lord. I feel God’s pain for those who turn their backs on him. I also cry for my weak flesh that sometimes succumbs to fear which leads to worries and anxieties over the consequences of wrong choices and sins that my family have also tied me up with. I plead the Lord to make me depend and trust Him especially when I am overwhelmed like this.
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ADORATION: Praise the Lord for He is sovereign and knows what’s best for us.
CONFESSION: Forgive me for worrying and not totally trusting you.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving me a heart that seeks You alone Lord!
SUPPLICATION: May all believers look forward to the reward of heaven awaiting them.
May all unbelievers turn to God before it is too late.
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REFLECTION
• How can believers have an honest heart like the psalmist in this song?