Psalm 102 – The Lord’s Eternal Love. (A Prayer of the afflicted)
(by Eugene Woon)
This Psalm is a Prayer of the afflicted, an individual lament, when he pours out his cry before the LORD. Because of God’s Eternal Love, He gives us the freedom of choice to worship Him. The psalmist sees himself as a member of a community in Zion and the shortness of human life. This prayer is about the trust in God’s ultimate purposes for His people.
In vs. 1-11, it opens with a desperate cry and want God to respond speedily. The psalmist fears that God may continue to hide His face. He relates on his sense of discouragement, the loud groaning, the bones clinging to the flesh; consumed by sorrow, the withering effects of one’s body and his own mortality. The ashes (v9) are a sign of mourning, as mentioned along with tears.
The Sovereign God brings about the success of His saving purposes in the world. And God does not despise their prayer, the afflicted is certain that their grieving is part of a larger scheme. Zion’s glory days, lie in the future generations on God’s promises and faithfulness. The time will come when they will reflect on how God hears their prayers. (vs. 12–22)
It seems like the afflictions will shorten his life even further. His prayer is that God would preserve the life of His faithful ones, so that they may see Zion’s wonderful future. The psalmist finishes with words addressed to God, focusing on His everlasting being and purpose. “Although the earth and heavens will perish and will wear out like a garment, God will remain.” (Heb. 1:10–12). Thus, the psalm closes with confidence, expecting God to keep His promises to many faithful generations. (vs. 23-28).
Let’s Read Psalm 102 (NKJV)
The Lord’s Eternal Love. A Prayer of the afflicted.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And let my cry come to You.
2 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.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.
12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the Lord shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24 I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, Your love endures forever. Your faithfulness are towards Your children who present their troubles and afflictions to You with confidence. Forgive our sins. It’s during this difficult time, that we learn to have deep appreciation of Your mercy and grace. You are immeasurably sweet. Let us put our trust in Your ultimate purposes and recognize that we are weak, and we need Your strength.
Though heavens and the earth shall perish and wear out like a garment, but You, O Lord will remain. Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight. Let our words be few and focused, pure and piercing, prophetic and loving, anointed and fearless with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
This we pray In Jesus Gracious Name. Amen.
This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos
About the Heavenly Devotion channel
The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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