Hello Darkness, My Old Friend (Psalm 88)

In today’s culture, it’s almost impossible to be disconnected. Unless you plan on going off the grid (might I suggest the Mid-West if you did), you will leave your footprint in the world. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all of the internet has kept us connected with even acquaintances; but with all of this, why are we such an unhappy society? Even with our friends close to us, we feel the crushing weight of loneliness every day. We are a culture driven by depression.

Even in Psalms, we find people crying to God for deliverance. Particularly in Psalm 88, we see a man full of trouble (V. 1), put in a pit (V. 6), rejected by friends (V. 8), with darkness as his only friend (V. 18). The psalmist even sees God as the one who put him in this situation. And with a surface level reading, this Psalm seems to be without any redemption

But God, in the very beginning of the chapter, is called “God of my salvation.” Because of that, the psalmist daily cries to the Lord, knowing where he can find lasting hope. Even when the author knows who put him there, he knows who will bring him out.

You may feel hopeless with so much fighting against you. You may feel betrayed by your friends, alone in this technological age, and depression is your only friend. You may even ask, “Why would you do this to me God?” The biblical authors faced the same sadness that we face today.

But the Gospel gives hope of ultimate happiness and forgiveness. Because despite who we are, God sent his Son to die for our sins, and we have the hope of a future promise: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

You may feel alone, shunned, rejected, and hated today. Life on earth is a pilgrimage that brings tears, but the Gospel presents a Savior who will personally wipe your tears away.