- You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness. Psalm 88:18 – Imagine with me you have this particular friend in your life that is always redirecting you to the Lord. When you are troubled, when you are in need, when you are hurting, their role in your life has always been the one to reset your eyes upon the Lord. We’d consider that person a great friend for what they are doing is actually helping us, for the end result of their influence in our life is us more focused on the God who can help. This is the idea of our psalmist with the darkness. While certainly a sad psalm, one of deep pleas to the Lord for help, we see that it was in the night and darkness that he cried all the more to the Lord. The darker the times the more deeply he chose to pursue the Lord. Hence the phrase in our verse that darkness had become his companion, his old friend. Not that he enjoyed being in that space of darkness, but it was in those times of darkness that his eyes were the most set upon the Lord. Likely we’d never desire to greet dark times in our life as our old friend, yet if those are the seasons our eyes are properly set on the Lord, then they are a blessing. Pain and loss are terrible things, but if they can be used to reset our eyes back onto the Lord, then we can see how the Lord is able to use such things for our good and His glory. For if the end result of something is us looking to Jesus, calling upon Jesus, and rejecting all other sinful options of help, wouldn’t we consider such a something a good companion? Praise be to the Lord that He is good enough to use the beauties of life and the darkness of life to draw us near to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3502
- Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Psalms 88:11 – The psalmist is asking God how long is it going to take till I see your steadfast love come and help in my current struggle. If I go any longer I’m going to end up dead, can your love help me there? Well, let’s ask Lazarus that question. Never think you’ve gotten yourself too deep into the mess or struggle that God’s love can’t change things. Lazarus went through the struggle till it killed him, yet Jesus’ love was still able to move in his story. While I’m not saying God’s going to be raising people from the dead like that, I am saying you’re not too deep into your struggle that God can’t help you anymore. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1151
- Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Psalm 88:15 – Helpless. Not often a term we think as one to describe how we come to Jesus. For me, I know God welcomes me to come to Him in a helpless state. I have the head knowledge of this, but I don’t know if I allow myself to actually still approach Him this way as often as I should. Parts of me still feel like I have to come to God put together and strong; strong in my own power somehow. I wonder if you ever find yourself in this same struggle. Where God is allowing us to approach Him helpless but we don’t allow ourselves to come to Him this way. We believe we have to get things figured out on our side first so we bring to God something worthwhile. Hear and really hear this today, you helpless is still worthwhile to God. He welcomes you even in the most helpless state. Know you can approach your Heavenly Father with nothing but tired, open hands and He’ll bring you close. In fact, this is how He longs for us to come to Him. Not glued together by our own wisdom, not held together by our own strength, but humble and broken before Him. Come to Jesus who welcomes the helpless. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2048
Daily DEVO 