When What I Know, Don't Match How I Feel

Scripture

Psalm 88 NRSV

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites. To the leader: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. 1 O Lord, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence, 2 let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. 3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. 4 I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, 5 like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. 6 You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 8 You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. 10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? Selah 11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But I, O Lord, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. 14 O Lord, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me? 15 Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate. 16 Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me. 17 They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me. 18 You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.

Introduction

There are situations in our lives where what I know, don;t match how I feel.

This psalm is a song and in the heading we find that it is written by a person named Heman. Heman was talented for he was likely a songwriter, musician and a singer. But he wasn’t just another musician or singer, but he was one of the three main musicians appointed by King David for ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres, and cymbals (). Heman had governmental influence as he was King David’s seer, which meant he was a prophet. God would give him visions and he would be able to interpret what the visions meant. Heman came from some very spiritual giants, for he was the son of Joel, and the grandson of Samuel, the final judge of Isreal who anointed King Saul and King David (). Heman’s family was well known, for he was blessed with fourteen sons and three daughters, in which God had blessed him with to exalt him. And everyday Heman would be able to go to work with all 17 of his children under his direction of music. Heman was considered to be wise. So wise, that King Solomon, who was considered to be the wisest man that ever lived, was compared to Heman (). Heman was talented, had governmental influence, came from a good family, was famous, had a large family and was considered to be be very wise. Heman seem to have had it going on, he was living the good life, yet the only song that we have written by Heman was , a song not of joy and praise, but of lament and despair.

Isn’t interesting how some of us can be just like Heman, where God has blessed us tremendously, but as soon as we go through something where we no longer feel (emphasis on the word feel) blessed, all of sudden we have spiritual amnesia. As if we forgot that God was the one that gave you that talent, God was the one that gave you your family, God was the one that gave you your car...your job, etc. I know there have been and there will be some moments and times where you may be in despair and you want to communicate how you feel to God, and that’s okay, but if you want to tell God how you feel well, you must first remember that it was God that brought you this far.

i. I find it interesting that the only song we have of this musician and songwriter who seem to have been blessed tremendously, is one of lament and despair. For him to be one of the main three musicians, I’m sure there had to be some songs of praise and thanksgiving. So why only a lament? Could the absence of the praise and thanksgiving songs and the presence of one lament, be representative of how we are as humans? When blessings flow, God is good, but as soon as disaster strikes, all blessings previously received are forgotten.

And I think Heman does that. He remebers that God is the God of his salvation. He remebers…And it’s like his knowing of these things about God is what makes his current situation so frustrating.

The Psalmist Situation

What the Psalmist knows about God

vs. 1 - The psalmist believes that God is

So here is the frustration, what the Psalmist knows about God is not what he feels about God in his suffering.

What do you believe about God?

The primary suspect for his affliction is not another person, it’s not an enemy, it’s not Satan, but it’s God.

Don’t Stop Praying

When you feel like your back is up against a wall, don’t stop praying.

When you feel like all hope is lost, don’t stop praying

When you feel like you ought to give up and throw in the towel, don’t stop praying.

When you feel like God is not present in your suffering, don;t stop praying,

Tell God how you feel, but do not stop praying.

Because just because you can’t feel God doesn’t mean he’s not working.

When we feel like God isn’t listening

Exodus 3:9 NRSV

9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

God heard the Israelites after 400 years. I’m not saying that what you’re going through is going to take 400 years, I’m not even saying its going to take along time, but what I a saying is that no matter how long it takes for you to get through your suffering, there is going to come a day when God says your cry has reached me and I have now seen your oppression. I know you want God to come now, I know God to show up now. He may not come when you want him, but he will show up. So while you’re waiting, I encourage do not stop praying.

Learn a good lesson: When in the deepest imaginable personal distress, and thinking that God is unfair, that He has forgotten you, and that you are in danger of dying, remember that Heman turned to the Lord in prayer. Even when you think God has forgotten and is unfair, TALK TO HIM ANYWAY!