Thoughts for the Day

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
on the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily on the day when I call.

For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
I am too wasted to eat my bread.
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my skin.
I am like an owl of the wilderness,
like a little owl of the waste places.
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
For I eat ashes like bread,
and mingle tears with my drink,
because of your indignation and anger;
for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass....

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
that he looked down from his holy height,
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die; .....

Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall live secure;
their offspring shall be established in your presence.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I was reminded recently of how difficult life was during the Covid pandemic. It was an awful time for many reasons, among them the way people who lived alone were completely isolated for weeks sometimes in tiny bedsits in tower blocks; how those in hospital and especially the dying were separated from their loved ones; and the effect on pre-school children who had no peer-group contact for so long. But the wearing of masks caused problems for another group. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing automatically watch people's mouth. (I hadn't realised how much I do it till then!) Even with good hearing aids most deaf people still need to reinforce them by lip reading. The ability to have eye contact was simply not enough!

We don't know who wrote Psalm 102. Some have even suggested it comes after the exile to Babylon and could be by Daniel, or Jeremiah, or Nehemiah. But what we do know is that the person is in terrible mental and physical distress. They feel God has abandoned them. 'Do not hide your face from me' the psalmist cries. This image describes the feeling that God has turned away from him. It's unlikely that God has literally previously shown His face to the writer, though this did happen to Moses (Exodus 33.11). All the images used describe one who is isolated and totally desperate. He cannot eat; he feels like a small owl in the wilderness or a lonely bird on the rooftop; and his enemies taunt him. Psalm 102 conjures up a description of how we can feel when at our most desperate, whether because of physical sickness or mental stress. We can feel isolated from everyone, including God.

But suddenly the writer shifts his attention from himself, for he remembers how God has helped him and His people in the past. He does not seem to have been cured but he has confidence in God's goodness and in His ultimate victory for His people. When we are at our lowest point all we can do is to turn to God, placing ourselves in His hands, and trusting in His goodness.

Lord God,
when we are at our lowest point;
when we are in pain;
or in danger,
may we turn to You for help.
Then can we leave the solution
in Your capable hands,
knowing that You have the world's concerns
at Your fingertips,
and care for Your children.
Amen.