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).
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).
