Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

 Psalm 102:1-12

 

Aug. 20:1-12

 

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!   Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!  Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!  For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.   My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.   Because of my loud groaning, my bones cling to my flesh.  I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.   All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.   For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.  My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.   But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;  you are remembered throughout all generations.

 

Often we think the desire for instant answers to our prayers is a new thing, brought about by the culture of technology we find ourselves in today.  But that is not true, when a person is in great need, now or in the past generation they want relief, and they want it now.  Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!   Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!  Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily on the day when I call!  

 

Often we as a people run from one thing to another without much thought of our Creator, till a crisis comes into our life or a member of our family, then we expect God not only to hear our prayer but to fix the problem now.

 

I was in the hospital for over two months, and often as I lay in that bed, sleep would not come, and my prayer was Lord, help me sleep, I do not know what to do.  I knew that He understood what I needed and it was more of, I need you, You are my designer, I am your child.  It was my call for help.  The person in this Psalm believes God was somehow getting even with him.  For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.  In the book of Job 1:21, we see Job in great suffering which the Lord allows the devil to do, in that God knew the heart of Job.  During the ordeal, we are given this account when he receives news of his children being killed.  “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.  And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  

I have seen few people that have had that kind of faith, but Job knew God loved him, and knew that God was good.  Now we who have by faith entered into Christ and He into us by God's grace should have faith to trust God.  We are told to ask God for more wisdom and faith.  He desires His children to live Victoria’s life on planet earth, but not a life without pain and trials. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice