Hard times and periods of darkness can feel overwhelming. We see this through natural disasters, drought, loss, sickness, financial pressure and the spiritual drought of people searching for meaning. The third Book of Psalms, Psalms 73–89, is considered the “dark book” of Psalms because it focuses heavily on national crisis, lament and wrestling with faith. It includes deep struggles such as the destruction of the temple. Psalm 88 is especially difficult because it contains no obvious words of praise or hope. Yet even in our darkest moments, we can find hope. Psalm 88 begins: Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. The honesty of this Psalm is striking. It begins with “I cry out day and night” and ends with “Darkness is my companion.” Yet God is sovereign and can work in every season. As Derek Kidner wrote: “The very presence of these prayers in Scripture is a witness to God's understanding, God knows how men speak when they are desperate.” 1. Hard times can be a school of Grace Verse 1 and 2 says: “Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.” There is no better place to appreciate God's grace than in times of darkness. When everything is going well, it is easy to say, “God is good.” But when circumstances change—or when the situation does not change—that is when grace becomes our only hope. Hard times can be external: losing a loved one, rejection, financial pressure or sickness. They can also be internal: emotional turmoil, sudden sadness or a loss of purpose. We may ask, “Where is God?” or “Why isn't God answering me?” But God doesn't love you because: you had a good day or you prayed perfectly or you never doubted. God loves you because He is gracious. The psalmist knows that God can save him, so he directs his cry towards God rather than away from God. His words may not be perfect, but the direction of his words is right. Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Notice that it doesn't say God will grant every request. It says His peace will guard your heart and mind. That is what is precious to God—your heart. Build your faith on this truth: “Because I follow Jesus, even when bad things happen, God will not abandon me.” Let that truth sink into your heart. 2. Hard times reveals if we want God or what God gives From verses 6–9, the psalmist's prayer isn't polished. He questions God, complains and expresses his frustration because he is not getting what he wants or what he thinks is right. This exposes the motives of our hearts: Do I really want God, or do I want God's gifts? The Bible gives us examples of people who continued to trust God even when they didn't receive what they wanted. Habakkuk 3:17–18: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.” Daniel 3:17-18: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” The story of Job begins with Satan questioning Job's motives: Job 1:9 says: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. In other words: Does Job really love God, or does he only love what God gives him? Our relationship with God can become transactional when we say: God, I'll serve You if You bless me. I'll pray if You answer. I'll worship if You give me what I want. I'll trust You only if I understand it. It is often in hard times that we discover whether we are serving God or serving ourselves. Job never turned away from God, even in his suffering. He continued to pray and remain close to Him. Job 1:21-22: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. So, if you are facing difficulty today, run to God. Present your need and direct your prayer to Him. James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Romans 5:3-5: “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” God will never waste a moment, whether good or difficult, to refine our character. 3. Hard times are real but are not the final word. The psalmist asks difficult rhetorical questions. He is not expecting an immediate answer; he is expressing his despair. Psalm 88:10-11 says: Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Why is a Psalm like this in the Bible? It doesn't seem like a model prayer. The very reason God put this prayer in Scripture is because He identifies with those of us who sometimes pray like this. He is a God of grace. He knows how we speak when we are desperate. We can tell God about our hopelessness. We can worship God even in our despair. God is saying: “I am your God, not if you are happy and prayerful. I am your God because I am gracious.” And God answers the questions of Psalm 88 in the most powerful and practical way: The answer is Jesus Christ. John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Matthew 27:45: “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’)” Jesus experienced the ultimate darkness. There is nothing that the resurrection won't cure. Yes, He shows His wonders to the dead. Yes, He raised up the spirits. Yes, His love was declared in the grave of Jesus. Yes, His faithfulness was declared through His complete obedience in the ultimate suffering and trauma of the cross. There is hope, and that hope is Jesus. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work today. Put your trust in Him.
