Psalm 88
Read Psalm 88
Helpful Background Information:
Today is the darkest day of Holy Week. What has become known as black Saturday or Silent Saturday. Today we ponder what was happening while Jesus was lying dead in the tomb. The emotions of the day were powerful and painful. Had all been lost? Did the Messiah fail? Did the Kingdom of Darkness win?
It’s easy for us, who know the end of the story, to skip over a day like today and just toss it aside… yeah well, in just a few short hours, Jesus was going to rise from the dead. Cheer up! But that diminishes what they, and our Lord, had to go through to get to Sunday. Saturday happened…
In the same way, someone who is going through a hard time today… it would be easy for us to say: Hey, cheer up, it’s going to work out in the end. God will work it for good. You have a future hope in glory so even though this pain is awful, it is temporary. That is true and good… and sometimes, that can be exactly what we need to hear… but there’s other times where we need to sit in the pain, and lament. To cry out to God and express our heart. To grieve the pain and sorrow, and express our trust in the Lord all the same!
Our Lord did this on the cross when he quoted Psalm 22 (My God my God, why hast thou forsaken me). In that moment, he was feeling the curse and weight of sin… yet expressing faith in his prayer! Even His last words before he died reflected this: “Into thy hands, I commit my spirit.” He trusted his Father even in death.
Today we’re going to read another Psalm of Lament, Psalm 88. As you read it, I think you’ll find that it almost sounds like a prayer Jesus could have said while in the grave.
Reflection Questions:
What emotions does the Psalmist have? How could these be similar to the emotions Jesus and his disciples were feeling on this day?
Jesus literally suffered the full weight of the wrath of God. This was why he was sweating blood in the garden the night before. How does Christ’s endurance of God’s wrath give you hope when you’re feeling immense suffering? (See 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)
How can you practice Lament today?
Go to God
Tell God how you feel
Ask God for help
Express Trust in God’s plan