I've titled our study this evening, Darkness, Distress, Depression, Difficulty, Despair, Devastation, Discouragement. I hope that inspires you this evening. If that doesn't inspire you, consider the inscription or the summary title of Psalm 102 in your Bibles. It explains the theme of this song. A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Now, we don't know who wrote Psalm 102, but many Bible scholars suspect that it was written during the Babylonian exile when Israel was in captivity and Jerusalem was in ruins. If that is the case, you might think of one like Daniel. or his three Hebrew friends, or any one of the Jewish captains who endured the darkness, distress, depression, difficulty, despair, devastation, and discouragement of their captivity. But at the same time, each of us can identify with my title this evening. You can identify with these things in your own life. Each one of us has known these things at some point in our personal experience. For in fact, these things are common to man. Consider some Bible examples with me in First Samuel 16. The Bible says that King Saul had a distressing spirit that troubled him. King Saul's servants suggested that they send for a musician to to play music and soothe his emotions. Of course, they they found a young boy who was skilled on his harp, the young shepherd boy, David, to play music for Saul. In First Kings 19, the Bible records how that Elijah was depressed after his encounter with the prophets of Baal and Elijah was despairing for Jezebel had threatened him and he thought he was the only faithful one left. In Mark 14, we read that even Jesus in his humanity was deeply distressed and his soul was exceedingly sorrowful. Of course, Jesus' solution was to spend time with his father in the Garden of Gethsemane. When writing to Timothy, Paul admitted that some had deserted him and Paul longed for the company of Timothy and Mark as he faced the end of his life. You see, many of those whom we read in the scriptures experienced what we experience darkness, distress, depression, difficulty, despair, devastation, discouragement. But it isn't just the Bible characters either. History tells us that both Charles Spurgeon and Martin Luther were men prone to times of deep melancholy and depression. On an unforgettable Sunday morning in 1866, the great C.H. Spurgeon stunned his 5000 listeners when from the pulpit of London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, he announced this. Charles Spurgeon said, I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever gets to such extremes of wretchedness as I go. For some of his audience, it was incomprehensible that the world's greatest preacher could ever know the valley of despair. Yet, 21 years later, in 1887, he said from that same pulpit, personally, I have often passed through the dark valley. Martin Luther. was subject to fits of darkness that he would secret himself away for days and his family would remove all dangerous implements from the house for fear that he would harm himself. In the midst of one of those times, his wife, Catherine, entered his room dressed in mourning, startled. Luther asked who had died. She replied, no one had, but from the way he was acting, she thought God had died. The fact of the matter is that Christians do endure dark days. And at some point or another in your life, you have experienced perhaps the death of a loved one or a great disappointment in life or a failure in an area of great effort or hurt from a relationship. Have you been there? If not, you are kindly dismissed at this time. For the rest of us who have experienced what my title describes, I think that you will identify with Psalm 102. If you're taking notes with me this evening, Roman numeral number one, the psalmist's complaint, the psalmist's complaint, the personal crisis. And I want to examine the psalmist's complaint carefully. And so I'd ask that you'd follow as I read, beginning in Psalm 102, verse number one. This is the psalmist's complaint. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble. Incline your ear to me in the day that I call. Answer me speedily. Here in Psalm 102 verses 1 and 2, God seemed very far away. Has God ever seemed to be a million miles away to you? You can't hear his voice. You can't see his face. You can't touch his hand. God seemed very far away. Letter A, the psalmist was deserted in a time of trouble. Letter A, he was deserted in time of trouble. Let's continue reading in verse number three. For my days are consumed like smoke. Life seemed meaningless to the psalmist, for my days are consumed like smoke or a vapor, my bones are burned like a hearth. He didn't feel well. Perhaps an ache or a fever. My heart is stricken, verse 4, and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread. He had a loss of appetite. He wasn't in the mood to eat his meal, verse 5. Because of the sound of my groaning, my bones cling to my skin." Some think he's describing arthritis here. Perhaps he's emaciated with sorrow. You might feel in letter B, he was distressed in his body. He was distressed in his body. The psalmist complained, first, he was deserted in time of trouble. Secondly, he was distressed in his body. We'll go to verse 6. I'm like a pelican of the wilderness. I'm like an owl of the desert." Now that makes no sense. Those animals are misplaced or displaced. A pelican in the wilderness? An owl in the desert? Verse 7, I lie awake and I'm like a sparrow alone on the housetop. He felt alone. He couldn't sleep. You might fill in letter C, he was desolate in his soul. He was desolate in his soul. Verse 8, My enemies reproached me all day long. Those who deride me swear an oath against me. He was persecuted. He was rejected. He was threatened. The psalmist, letter D, was derided by men. Letter D. He was derided by men. Verse nine. For I've eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping, he experienced tears and mourning and weeping. Verse 10, because of your indignation in your wrath for you have lifted me up and cast me away, he was painfully aware of both victory and defeat of triumph and failure, and he felt abandoned by God. You might fill in letter E. He was disciplined by God. Verses nine and 10, he was disciplined by God. Verse 11, my days are like a shadow that lengthens. As a long day in the summertime and the shadows lengthen near the end of the day. I wither away like grass. Letter F. He was despairing of life. He was despairing of life. The psalmist complained he was deserted in time of trouble. He was distressed in his body. He was desolate in his soul. He was derided by men. He was disciplined by God. He was despairing of life. That is quite a complaint. That is quite a personal crisis. And some of the specifics here might be masked in the poetic form of the ancient Hebrew, but we get the picture. And that's why I love the Psalms. They're of great value to the believer because they resonate with us. We identify with the psalmist and his trouble. And then the Psalms help us to prepare, to process, properly process life by pointing us in the right direction. When we are fearful, where do we turn for security? When we are fickle, where do we turn for stability? When we are feeble, where do we turn for strength? When we pour out our hearts and our souls with a personal complaint regarding our crisis, then where do we go? Look at verses 12 and following. But you, O Lord, shall endure forever and the remembrance of your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion for the time to favor her. Yes, that set time has come for your servants to take pleasure in her stones and show favor to her dust. This is number two, the psalmist's consolation. The psalmist's consolation is the person of God. The psalmist's complaint was the personal crisis. The psalmist's consolation is the person of God. And I propose to you that a great lesson of the Psalms is that when real people had real problems, they found their consolation in the person of God. Now, this is easier said than done. Let's imagine for a moment that you stop by my office and you ask for some pastoral counsel, for some spiritual counsel, anything ranging from marriage counseling to gaining victory over sin, to a point of decision regarding your future, anything. And I listen to your care. I listen to your complaint. I listen to your concern as you pour out your heart. And then I tell you this. I say, dear church member, Read your Bible, pray every day, and everything will be okay. And I show you the door. Now, that's good counsel. I would hope that your pastor would say, read your Bible, pray every day, and show you the door. But how does that help? How does that get fleshed out in your life? Just trust the Lord. Well, that's good counsel too, but that doesn't really help me now. You say, I've lost my job. How does that help me fix my problem? It's almost how I feel when I when I read verse 12 and I read, but you, O Lord, shall endure forever. It doesn't the psalmist trouble doesn't matter anymore because because of God. How does that work? I think we need to chew on that a bit after 11 verses. In fact, I want you to follow as I read. The psalmist's complaint, the first 11 verses as we come then to verse 12. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble. Incline your ear to me in the day that I call. Answer me speedily. Why, for my days are consumed like smoke. My bones are burned like a harp. My heart is stricken and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning, my bones cling to my skin. I'm like a pelican in the wilderness. I'm like an owl in the desert. I lie awake and I'm like a sparrow alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day long. Those who deride me swear an oath against me for I've eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping because of your indignation and your wrath where you have lifted me up and then you've cast me away. My days are like a shadow that lengthens and I wither away like grass. But you, Lord, shall endure forever. Oh, really? What a change in the tone and the tenor of the psalmist as he considers the person of God and he's consoled. On Wednesday evenings, I'm leading us through a study on the names of God so that we might find consolation in the person of God. I encourage you to be here on Wednesday evenings, but specifically letter A, there is security in the Lord. There is security in the Lord. Verse 12, But you, O Lord, shall endure forever and the remembrance of your name to all generations. The walls of Jerusalem had fallen down. Israel was almost extinct. The psalmist had almost expired. But God was everlasting. He had always been around. He would always be around. You can count on that. You can bank on that. There is security in the Lord. Letter B, there is strength in the Lord. There is strength in the Lord verses 13 and 14 you will rise and have mercy on Zion for the time to favor her Yes The set time has come for your servants take pleasure in her stones to show favor to her dust and while the walls of Jerusalem Where it ruins at this point and in the stone walls of the city, of course where a picture of its strength is But in this case, even the rubbish of those walls was dear to the captives, for it reminded them that their true strength and prosperity was in the Lord. And they looked forward to the occasion when God would build up that city again. Follow as I continue reading in verse 15, so the nation shall fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth. will fear your glory, as it were, for the Lord shall build up Zion. He shall appear in his glory. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord, for he looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven. The Lord viewed the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the name of the Lord in Zion and its praise in Jerusalem. When the peoples are gathered together in the kingdoms to serve The Lord. This is number three, the psalmist's confidence, the psalmist's confidence, the promise of God, there was a surety, a surety among the covenant people of God that God was not finished with them. You're familiar with Jeremiah 29. You might want to jot in the margin there. Jeremiah 29 verses 11 through 14. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will listen to you and you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord. I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. The psalmist's confidence was in the promise of God. Jeremiah was one of the spokesmen of God during Israel's captivity, and because of his and others prophetic utterances, there was an awareness, even a confidence in the promises of God. The point of application for us this evening is this. Our confidence ought to be in the person of God, our confidence ought to be in the promises of God. What part of God's person and what part of God's promises can you claim this evening? In response to the things mentioned in my title, darkness, distress, depression, difficulty, despair, devastation, and discouragement. As you pour out your complaint, your personal crisis, what part of the person of God or the promises of God give you consolation and confidence? I brought a little book with me here to the pulpit this evening. It's a small paperback book titled God's Promises for Your Every Need. And it is simply a topical collection of scripture passages. And I used to think of this book as worthless, for it's small. And my philosophy is bigger books make a bigger library. So what's to do with a small book like this? But the longer I live, the more I understand the need to cling to the promises of God as given in the scriptures. Consider this, when we think a matter is impossible, that there is no solution at all, remember that with God, all things are possible. Consider this, when you feel weary and worn, remember what Jesus said, come unto me and I will give you rest. When you aren't sure that anyone loves you, Remember that God loves you. He loves you with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms. When you don't think you can handle your circumstance, it's too painful for you. Remember that God's grace is sufficient. When you can't figure it out on your own, remember that God will direct your steps. Proverbs 3, 5 and 6. He will give you wisdom. James 1. When you lose your job, remember that God will supply your needs. When you are worried and frustrated, remember that you can cast all your care upon him. When you feel alone, remember that he will never leave you nor forsake you. Be prepared to claim a promise of God and be consoled. in his person and find confidence in his promises. Psalm one or two finishes versus twenty three and following look there as I read, he weakened my strength in the way he shortened my days. I said, Oh my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days for years are throughout all generations. Your years are throughout all generations. Of all, you laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment, like a clump. You will change them and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end. The children of your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before you. Number four, the psalmist's certainty, the psalmist's certainty, the preservation of God. Basically, here, the psalmist is conscious of his own weakness and the brevity of his own life. And he contrasts that with the eternity of God. And he realizes that the future of Israel didn't depend on Joshua or Ezra or Nehemiah or Daniel or Ariel Sharon or George Bush or Barack Obama. But the future of Israel is in the hands of our omnipotent God. And by the way, God still does have a future for Israel. And the psalmist was certain of that. The sum of certainty, the preservation of of God now, although we have completed our outline is, is I have structured or observed the structure in some one or two. There's one more thing I want to point out. I want you to note that some one or two versus twenty five through twenty seven. Psalm 102 verses 25, verse 26 and verse 27 is cited in Hebrews chapter number one. Turn in your New Testaments with me to Hebrews chapter one. Hebrews chapter one in describing Jesus Christ as superior to any other being, I hope you kept your finger in Psalm 102. Hebrews one in describing Jesus Christ is superior to any other being. The author to the Hebrews cites what would be familiar to any Hebrew. And then a some one or two versus twenty five to twenty seven, but look at Hebrews one verse 10. In describing Jesus Christ and you, Lord, In the beginning laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up and they will be changed. But you are the same and your years will not fail. You see, folks, what was attributed to Jehovah God in Psalm 102, verses 25 to 27, is also now attributed to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1, who, by the way, is the promise of God, the promised Messiah. And by the way, is also the only point of salvation or deliverance for the captives. This evening, you might have come with a bit of darkness, distress, depression, difficulty, despair, devastation, or discouragement. Be encouraged in knowing this, that your experience is common to man, the great man of the scripture. Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, all those great men have experienced seasons that are described by my title. And certainly, there are occasions when with the psalmist, we pour out our complaint, the personal crisis of our life. I would encourage you to find your consolation in the person of God. Find your confidence in the promise of God. Find your certainty in the preservation Let's pray. Father, we humbly acknowledge that at times we hurt. Lord, sometimes we even despair. Oh Lord, may we find our consolation in your person. May we find our confidence in your promises. May we find our certainty in your preservation. Lord, although we as the New Testament church are not Israel, yet you also have a purpose and a plan for us as well. And we're encouraged by that. I pray, God, that your Holy Spirit would be the helper, the one who comes alongside us even this evening to encourage us in the things of the Lord. For I pray this in Jesus name.