Psalm 102
by Pastor Lawrence

The superscript reveals that this is a prayer of an afflicted man who seems to be afflicted both physically as well as spiritually given the fact that his enemies are taunting him because of the evil that has befallen him. This is one of many individual laments that are recorded for us in the Book of Psalms. There are at least forty of them that follow a similar pattern in which a godly man is suffering and/or being persecuted by his enemies which causes him to cry out to the Lord to hear his prayer and to offer reasons unto God for why he should be given immediate help.

Some of the initial reasons he provides in vv.3ff include his own transience as a human being who does not have many years left to live, the extent of his suffering for which God should take pity, his status as a citizen of Zion, which is God’s favored city and the witness it would provide to the unbelieving Gentiles when they see how God has answered his prayer causing them to fear the lord and to give Him glory. These are all really good reasons that we ought to include in our petitions as well, not because we need to convince God to help us, but for us to better understand why He willingly condescends to listen to our prayers and why, at times, He chooses to delay answering us since there is often more at stake than what we can see with our own eyes.

Then in vv.16ff he reminds himself and his hearers that the Lord is building up Zion not tearing her down, that He does care for the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their petitions. Oh how often we need to remind ourselves of the Lord’s love and sympathy for us when we are tempted to doubt these very things to become bitter in spirit. Even though this seems to be an individual lament, notice how there is always a corporate nature to his prayer. Not only is the Lord continually before him but so is His church and how they might be benefitted by both his sufferings and his prayers. Clearly, this is not a man who simply wants to live in comfort and peace but a man who wants to see God’s name be glorified and His church edified even through his sufferings and future deliverance. His desire to observe the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving one’s neighbor lay the groundwork for all of his petitions. Ultimately he wants to see the name of the Lord proclaimed not only by his brothers and sisters who make up the people of Zion but also by all the kingdoms of the world who would gather with them to worship the Lord.

It really is fascinating to see how much he weaves back and forth between his individual needs and petitions and the needs of Zion and all the nations of the world. Surely there is a lot for us to learn from this psalmist not only in how he frames his petitions but what comes out of the depths of his heart when in the midst of suffering.