Darkness by David Jeremiah

Tuesday, October 16 Darkness    I am distraught. Psalm 88:15    Psalm 88 is the saddest of the Psalms. Many Psalms are happy and exuberant, like Psalm 100 and 103. Some begin on a low note but end on a more hopeful frame of mind, such as Psalm 130. Only one Psalm begins on a low note and ends in the same place—Psalm 88. The writer, Heman, was distraught, and his final words were: “Darkness is my closest friend” (verse 18, NIV).

Recommended Reading: Psalm 88

But Heman never gave up. He did the one thing he could do—he prayed. Every verse is a prayer, and Heman never yielded to despair. He simply kept praying. Sometimes that’s all we can do—and the most important thing we can ever do. When we face confusion and doubt, we have the full authority of our Sovereign Lord to help us win the battle. We can be overcomers through Him. Even amid prolonged low spirits, we can maintain the lifeline of prayer.  And we can remember that the next Psalm begins with the words: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” (Psalm 89:1). The weakest Christian can at any period of his life at any moment of the day and in any circumstance cry out to God for help and instantly have the resources of the infinite, sovereign God at his disposal. James Montgomery Boice