A Psalm of Suffering

1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and He will hear me.

2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand 

  is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be 

  comforted.

3 When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints.

Today’s psalm was written by Asaph, a musician and choirmaster of God’s temple. We suffer in this life. We seek God when we suffer, and as Asaph writes, we cry aloud. He is truly a suffering servant, his soul refusing help and growing weary to the point of his spirit ‘fainting.” 

Suffering is part of this life. To whom do we turn when we suffer?

Isaiah 40 uses similar language but gives us this promise too:

“28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the 

  everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He   

  does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is 

  unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who 

  has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall 

  faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;   

  31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run 

  and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

The Lutheran Study Bible notes assure us that even the “strong believers and spiritual leaders among God’s people may find themselves troubled by times of weakness in their faith.” God, however, sends His Spirit to strengthen us, to give us hope, to renew us. His steadfast love, His covenant with us, is found in Jesus Christ. Christ’s own suffering, death and resurrection give us hope as we suffer in this life and strength to overcome these times.

We pray: Heavenly Father, help me in moments or times of suffering. Strengthen me by sending Your Spirit to hear Your Word and take it to heart. Heal me, strengthen me, help me to hear Your words of hope through the sacrificial, covenant love of Your Son and servant Jesus Christ. Amen.