This psalm is a lament and a prayer for God’s help. The psalmist laments over life’s sufferings, which seem to be physical, mental and spiritual. Hence this involves being oppressed, rejected and avoided by enemies, neighbours and acquaintances.
The psalmist’s afflictions may remind readers of the third and fourth servant songs in the book of Isaiah, as well as Jesus’ sufferings described in the gospel Passion narratives.
The world is full of suffering, including wars, diseases, environmental disasters, political oppression, economic injustices, religious persecution, and the list goes endlessly on.
Beginning at verse 14, the psalmist shifts gears from lament to a rock-solid trust in God. The psalmist’s life, circumstances and destiny are ultimately in God’s hands.
Does this psalm remind you of Jesus’ sufferings and perhaps yours? Do the psalmist’s words encourage and comfort you? Martin Luther’s theology of the cross reminds us that when we especially feel the farthest away from God in our sufferings, that is precisely when God is closest to us.
So may your lament, like the psalmist’s, lead you to a deeper trust in God. Thanks to what Jesus accomplished through his death by crucifixion, we can trust that our life, circumstances and destiny are ultimately in God’s hands.
Dear God, help us to always trust you. Amen. —