psalm 88
"You cause my neighbors and friends to keep their distance; those who know me leave me alone in the darkness."
This is the only psalm that doesn't end on a hopeful or encouraging note. It is what it is. God's effectiveness isn't totally correlated to our attitude. He can work in spite of us.
Pray not to base so much on how you feel.
4 comments:
Dallas Willard said that feelings are great friends but terrible masters.
Is this verse 8 of Psalm 88?
the Message,NIV,NLT,NKJV all have another phrase in that verse: "made me horrible to them", "by making me repulsive" "You have made me an abomination to them" and the NIV-- "made me repulsive to them"
It seems the writer of the psalm sees God going to great measures to separate him from his friends. It is absolute rejection.
what are your thoughts about that?
The psalmist is experiencing the absence of God. Whether the source is his own emotions or God's disciplining withdrawal, we will never know. The fact that this is in scripture really validates the Bible addressing all of our being.
Don't remember what translation I was using! Usually, NLT, but as you said, it is not in this case.
Exactly! Terrible master/ helpful servant. I still like his despair, however. It is so real...
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