Psalms 102:1-28
This is a Messianic Psalm which means that it is a Psalm that speaks of the Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus. It is subtitled, “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD”. While we may see ourselves at many times in these verses, it speaks of Christ’s affliction from the Garden through the Cross, and how He suffered so many things for you and me.
The first several verses of this Psalm read like someone who is experiencing a mid-life crisis. The world tends to throw this term around regarding anyone who has lived a few decades, accumulated some wealth and substance, raised their kids, succeeded in business and then finds that one day they still want more. It may very well be a “mid-life” crisis, but it has little to do with “finding yourself” and more to do with finding purpose. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ, life tends to revolve around what you can accumulate and how high you can go. Only Jesus brings absolute fulfillment in our hearts and lives. Through Him, the believer can avoid this so-called inevitability.
In spite of the fact that we are complete in Him, we do however still go through various crises in life. Whether it is the loss of a loved one; a lay-off at work; or an unexpected bill that seems way too big for our budget, life throws us many curves. When our hearts are smitten with grief, they become “withered like grass” (Psalms 102:4). The next step in the progression is a simple one with terrible consequences.
“I forgot to eat my bread” (Psalms 102:4). Seems so innocent doesn’t it? Have you ever been so grief-stricken that you literally forgot to eat? I think that we have all been distracted or stressed and food seemed far away. I know that in my own life and ministry, when some great conflict comes up or something disastrous happens, I can go from hungry to turned off by food in one second.
The problem with this verse is that it speaks of so much more than physical food. We can all probably stand to skip a meal once in a while (our waistline would thank us), but to be so down spiritually that you forget to feed on the loveliness of Jesus is a recipe for disaster. Jesus is not only our goodness and our grace when things go well, but He is actually all the more powerful within us when things go terribly wrong. Jesus said to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This excited Paul so much that he changed his tune about problems; he almost welcomed them from that moment forward, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Whatever crisis you are facing today, place it in the capable, nail-scarred hands of Jesus and leave it there. Don’t forget to feed on His beauty, His loveliness, His goodness and His grace. Remember what He thinks of you and in your moment of absolute weakness, begin to see Him as absolutely strong.
This is a Messianic Psalm which means that it is a Psalm that speaks of the Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus. It is subtitled, “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD”. While we may see ourselves at many times in these verses, it speaks of Christ’s affliction from the Garden through the Cross, and how He suffered so many things for you and me.
The first several verses of this Psalm read like someone who is experiencing a mid-life crisis. The world tends to throw this term around regarding anyone who has lived a few decades, accumulated some wealth and substance, raised their kids, succeeded in business and then finds that one day they still want more. It may very well be a “mid-life” crisis, but it has little to do with “finding yourself” and more to do with finding purpose. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ, life tends to revolve around what you can accumulate and how high you can go. Only Jesus brings absolute fulfillment in our hearts and lives. Through Him, the believer can avoid this so-called inevitability.
In spite of the fact that we are complete in Him, we do however still go through various crises in life. Whether it is the loss of a loved one; a lay-off at work; or an unexpected bill that seems way too big for our budget, life throws us many curves. When our hearts are smitten with grief, they become “withered like grass” (Psalms 102:4). The next step in the progression is a simple one with terrible consequences.
“I forgot to eat my bread” (Psalms 102:4). Seems so innocent doesn’t it? Have you ever been so grief-stricken that you literally forgot to eat? I think that we have all been distracted or stressed and food seemed far away. I know that in my own life and ministry, when some great conflict comes up or something disastrous happens, I can go from hungry to turned off by food in one second.
The problem with this verse is that it speaks of so much more than physical food. We can all probably stand to skip a meal once in a while (our waistline would thank us), but to be so down spiritually that you forget to feed on the loveliness of Jesus is a recipe for disaster. Jesus is not only our goodness and our grace when things go well, but He is actually all the more powerful within us when things go terribly wrong. Jesus said to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This excited Paul so much that he changed his tune about problems; he almost welcomed them from that moment forward, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Whatever crisis you are facing today, place it in the capable, nail-scarred hands of Jesus and leave it there. Don’t forget to feed on His beauty, His loveliness, His goodness and His grace. Remember what He thinks of you and in your moment of absolute weakness, begin to see Him as absolutely strong.
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