Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

-Psalm 88:1-2

You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me? From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend.

-Psalm 88:6-18

  

Why did God put Psalm 88 in the Bible?

  

1 - To show you that Mental Illness can last a long time.

  

Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.

-Psalm 88:1

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death…

-Psalm 88:15a

‘In this world you will have trouble.’

-John 16:33b

A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on people, fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?’

-Job 4:12-17

  

2 - To show you the Grace of God.

  

Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?

-Psalm 88:10-11

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.

-Psalm 88:15

Turn your face away from me so that I can have a little peace before I die.

-Psalm 39:13

The very presence of these prayers in Scripture is a witness to God’s understanding. God knows how men speak when they are desperate.

-Derek Kidner

  

3 - To show you that Mental Illness is where you become a person of greatness.

  

It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’ I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.

-Job 9:22-31

Sam’s face grew stern as the will hardened in him and he felt, through all his limbs, a thrill, as if he was turning into some creature of stone and steel that neither despair or weariness nor endless barren miles could subdue.

-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

-James 1:12

  

4 - To show you the darkness is neither objective nor permanent.

  

Thlipsis and Periasmos (Greek): Pressure and Grapes.

If God is your savior, you can know with certainty this darkness will birth the greatest light of your life.

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

-Matthew 27:45-46

In the garden, Jesus did not abandon us in His darkness.

How could we ever think He would abandon us in ours?

This darkness can happen to a believer. It does not mean that you are lost. This darkness can happen to someone who does not deserve it. It happened to Jesus. It doesn’t mean that you’ve strayed. This darkness can happen to anyone at anytime because only in the next world will such things be done away with (unnecessary). This darkness can happen to anyone without knowing why, but rest assured, there is a purpose and eventually you will know it.

-Michael Wilcock

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

-1 Corinthians 13:12

   

   

   

What are you main takeaways from this sermon?

  

  

  

Discussion Questions:

  

Scripture: Psalm 88, John 16:33, Matthew 27:45-46

  

Ice Breaker: Describe your definition of anxiety from experience or observation.

  

1. Read Psalm 88:1-2. What is your reaction to this passage?

  

Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

-Psalm 88:1-2

  

2. Have you had an experience in any way like the psalmist described in the verses above? How did you get through it? Did you ask God the “Why?” question? What was His answer?

  

  

3. Have you ever held – or now hold – to the belief that "once you are a Christian, nothing bad can (or should) happen to you"?

  

  

4. In John 16:33, what is meant by "In this world you will have trouble"? Describe the trouble you face.

  

  

5. Read Psalm 88:10-12. Do you ever talk to God on an honest level like this? Is it ok to do so? Explain.

  

Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

-Psalm 88:10-12

  

6. At this point in your life, are you more egocentric (you-centered) or theocentric (God-centered)?

  

  

7. What are some specific promises that remind us that God is always with us?

  

  

8. Read Matthew 27:45-46. How does it make you feel to know that even though Jesus felt total separation from God, yet in His darkness, He did not abandon you? 

  

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

-Matthew 27:45-46

  

9. How do you feel about the prayer, “God keep me in this darkness until I have learned the lesson you are trying to teach me”?

  

Make a Decision