Psalm 102:1-11 “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, LORD! Let my cry come to you. Don’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call. For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burnt as a torch. My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places. I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears, because of your indignation and your wrath; for you have taken me up and thrown me away. My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass.”

There is a simple honesty and understanding in the Psalms that we don’t necessarily match today. There are many today that like to declare God would never do anything bad to us. After all, we’re His children! We’re His anointed! We’re His priests! He would never let anything negative happen to His people!

The Psalmist disagrees. He knows that God allows bad things to happen, and sometimes God decrees that bad things will happen: “because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have taken me up and thrown me away.” He does it for a purpose. His purpose. He’s molding us to be like Jesus or perhaps trying to bring us back to a right relationship with Him. That’s why it’s so important that we cry out to Him when we experience suffering.

Romans 5:3-5 “Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

For additional worship: Rejoice in the Lord (The Hamilton Family)