Psalm 102

The title captures the essence of this prayer.  The writer is sorely afflicted, overwhelmed by his trial, and pours out his heart to the Lord.  It may be the writing of a king, as the writer speaks of a national affliction as well as his personal pain.  In the end this Hymn is full of usable truth for today.

·         He cries to the Lord to hear his plea and to hurry with His answer, v1-2.

·         He describes his pain and the depth of his pain, v3-7.  His pain is physical.  He forgets to eat.  He is losing weight.  And feels very alone (the picture of the various birds that live alone in the wilderness).

·         He describes his problem (his enemies who reproach him all day long) and the depth of his problem (he is experiencing God’s wrath), v8-11.  This is a familiar situation among God’s people who were prone to wander from the Lord into idolatry.  God’s chastening involved some enemy nation that would afflict His people until they cried out for His mercy.  This happened in the time of the Judges, in varying degrees in the days of the Kings, through the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, and into today’s results of the Roman destruction.  This problem is personal to the Psalmist and is yet national.  And the result is that both the man and the nation feel very temporal (v10).

·         He describes his Hope (i.e. the object of hope, the One in whom he hopes), v12-17.  It is not simply the Lord; it is the eternal Lord.  While he feels temporary his trust is in the Lord who endures forever.

·         He describes his hope (i.e. the promise the Lord has made), v18-22.  It is not enough just to have an eternal Lord; there must also be a promise from that eternal Lord that applies to the situation.  The writer has such a promise, pictured as a time when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord (v22).  At that time not just God’s people but the nations will declare His name and praise in Zion!  This is ultimately a Messianic promise, a reference to the Kingdom of Messiah promised in Psalm 2.

·         He concludes with a clear statement: because God is eternal His people will be established, v23-28.  This is a call for personal endurance.

This Psalm is full of encouragement for saints today when they are overwhelmed.  If we have a promise from the Lord for our time of trial, then God will keep His promise.  There will never come a time when His promise will fail.  The eternal God keeps His word eternally.  For example, consider Paul’s words in his hour of trial: I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day (2 Tim. 1:12).

The flesh responds to overwhelming trial with anger, bitterness, crankiness, hopelessness and the lifestyles of addiction, loneliness and depression.  Let us heed the call to trust God.  Cry out to Him.  Wait on Him.  He is faithful!