Psalm 88

"My life is full of troubles, and death draws near."

That's verse 3.

More importantly, both halves of that verse are all too frequent cries in our world today.

I heard a wonderful scholar recently talking about "3 li[ves] full of trouble" and the "problem" of evil. Doubters and skeptics throw the problem of evil at believers like they're throwing down a trump card. "If your God is a just God and all-powerful God, how can there be evil. Ta-DAH!" And Christians all too often go on the defensive, trying to justify "the problem of evil."

"Why?" asks this man of faith. It's Christians who do have clear answers to the evil in this world, and the world and its philosophies that really have no answer. We ought to be saying, "I'd be glad to explain. But first, let's hear you explain evil within your worldly, philosophical framework."

Scratch them very deep, and the dominant philosophies of the world say that "man is essentially good." "Fine," we ought to say, "Turn on the news. Where do the daily, horrible, violent, abusive, and corrupt headlines come from?" "Individuals are basically good," will come the answer, "but systems and cultures (and religions) are bad." "Fine," we ought to say again, "but who makes up the systems and cultures and religions? People! From us flows all kinds of corruption!"

Our answer is simpler and clearer and explains the world much better: "people sin." Think about it ... each day's unpleasant headlines come from what? People. And sin.

The world doesn't want to hear about sin. The world wants to justify itself by saying "I am 'basically good'; therefore, I can do what I want." The celebrating the self leads to a blaming of systems and cultures ... and eventually God himself. Therefore, if "3 my life is full of troubles, and death draws near," the rational, worldly solution is to blame God.

Ultimately, it's a hopeless ideology ... and yet it's so pervasive of a worldview that we're all conditioned to buy into it a little bit.

Fortunately, the Psalmist doesn't.

Yes, he is hurting badly. He feels "4 dismissed" and "5 abandoned." He'll even throw much of his frustration straight at feet of God -- "7 your anger lies heavy on me" and "6 you have thrust me down to the lowest pit." But what is he really saying when he says, "15 I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors"? Isn't he saying, "I stand helpless before YOU"? Isn't that a statement of faith ... even in the face of life's trials.

As a pastor, I watch that every day. People stand before a grave. On the one hand they're crying "9 [O Lord,] my eyes are blinded by my tears. 2 Listen to my cry [because] 15 I stand helpless and desperate before [You]." On the other hand, they sing praises of hope along with Job: "19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives ... 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God."

This psalm is a prayer of both frustration ... and faith.

It's a prayer that acknowledges that there is sin and hurt and tragedy in this world. And yet, it's a prayer that celebrates that on the other side of feelings of forsakeness (see verse 5) and in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death (see verses 6, 10, and 11), there is God's enduring "5 care," "10 miracles," "11 faithfulness," "12 righteousness," and "11 unfailing love."

It's a prayer that responds forcefully to the problem of evil. When "3 life is full of troubles and death draws near" -- and it will -- we can turn to the philosophies of the world (which can only blame and can ultimately offer nothing more than an acknowledgement of troubles and the reality of death), or we can turn to God who hated sin enough that he sent his only son to die to conquer it and promises an eternal solution on the other side of death.

Gracious heavenly father,

full of "10 miracles," "5 care,"

"11 faithfulness," and "11 unfailing love,"

I ask the question along with the psalmist:

"10 do the dead get up and praise you?"

My answer / my prayer is this:

"Let me not be dead like the world

and let me simply praise you.

Help me find the answers to life

-- abundant life -- within you.