Monday, September 11, 2023

Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

Psalm 88:1-2

We all learn as we get older that in each life some rain must fall. This is a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It means that we all have an appointment with trouble, and some of that trouble inflicts wounds that scar us potentially for life. Even if they no longer cause pain, we can remember where we were when we sustained them. I have a few scars on my right arm when my brother and I went to rescue a cow. I couldn't get over the barbed wire fence, so he decided that he would throw me over it. My arm bled and bled and bled. Eventually, the bleeding stopped, and healing began, but I have scars—reminders that there was a wound.

There are all types of scars. The physical scars are visible; we can see them. There are also verbal scars where someone said hurtful things to us that inflicted pain, damaging us to the core. There are also social scars that result from being embarrassed, excluded, attacked, or used by others. Then, there are the spiritual scars, when we feel hurt by a church through its members or leaders. There are sexual scars as well. These scars occur when someone crosses a sexual boundary and takes advantage of a very intimate part of us. Despite the type of wound, there is usually emotional damage that may come and spur us into negative space, impacting the way we see ourselves and others.

This psalmist is praying, because he is going through a difficult season. He declares that God is the One who saves him. He is crying out day and night and asking God to hear his cry. His complaints are numerous. He is overwhelmed with trouble (v. 3); he is counted among those who go down to the pit (v.4); and he even feels like his life is drawing near to death (v.5). Amid these wounds, he cries to God for help.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I cry to you for help. I need to be healed from my wounds. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.