| Psalm 102 reads as follows from the NIV version of | | | | singular voice to the Lord, and all his troubles and the |
| the Bible: | | | | issuance of only surrounding enemies has not robbed |
| 1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help | | | | him of his singular voice in prayer to the Lord. |
| come to you. | | | | That he has his nemesis means also that there are is |
| 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in | | | | effective help and no good company, not only is he |
| distress. | | | | sequestered away in trouble, there is no one to help |
| Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. | | | | him. |
| 3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn | | | | He is also missing the good or missing out and this is |
| like glowing embers. | | | | part of his distress. The idea of the evening shadow |
| 4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; | | | | is going right to the end, but seeing just enough to |
| I forget to eat my food. | | | | where you see the fade on what could have been. |
| 5 Because of my loud groaning | | | | The scenes for this psalmist are of utter destitution. |
| I am reduced to skin and bones. | | | | The question for the psalmist for his situation is the |
| 6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. | | | | question of whether the Lord is willing to listen to his |
| 7 I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a | | | | prayer. |
| roof. | | | | Could he have been so estranged from the Lord that |
| 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail | | | | he wouldn't listen to his prayer? |
| against me use my name as a curse. | | | | Part of the Lord's view would be his willingness |
| 9 For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink | | | | towards an individual's prayer. |
| with tears | | | | Within the discussion of the Lord's will, different |
| 10 because of your great wrath, for you have | | | | measures delve. |
| taken me up and thrown me aside. | | | | Also, the Bible does speak of prayers being hindered |
| 11 My days are like the evening shadow; | | | | or blocked. |
| I wither away like grass. | | | | This experience of the psalmist goes into, the Lord |
| 12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your | | | | doesn't want me as the world certainly doesn't. The |
| renown endures through all generations. | | | | psalmist feels he has been thrown aside as stated in |
| 13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it | | | | verse 10 and this goes to the vision of the evening |
| is time to show favor to her; the appointed time | | | | shadow, where what was good and desirable is just |
| has come. | | | | seen with that last fade of light and never in the |
| 14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her | | | | joyful sunshine of the midday. |
| very dust moves them to pity. | | | | It is possible that the prayer doors are shut on the |
| 15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all | | | | destitute, but in most cases probably not, destitution |
| the kings of the earth will revere your glory. | | | | does not preclude prayer access. |
| 16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his | | | | You kind of know the Lord can do this but does he |
| glory. | | | | want to? |
| 17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he | | | | One can believe in his power of change, but another |
| will not despise their plea. | | | | area of belief is his willingness to do it. |
| 18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a | | | | Will the Lord change his destitute circumstances like |
| people not yet created may praise the LORD : | | | | the changing of clothes mentioned later in this psalm? |
| 19 "The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on | | | | The question was would he have the faith at this |
| high, from heaven he viewed the earth, | | | | junction of destitution that he could get answers to |
| 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners and release | | | | prayer? |
| those condemned to death." | | | | The Lord is always changing things up. It would not |
| 21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in | | | | be impossible that what is stagnating could move into |
| Zion and his praise in Jerusalem | | | | changing scenarios. |
| 22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to | | | | The Lord does have the earth spinning in a changing |
| worship the LORD. | | | | panorama with changing patterns of light, darkness, |
| 23 In the course of my life he broke my | | | | seas, all over the earth and maybe he would change |
| strength; he cut short my days. | | | | things for you. |
| 24 So I said: | | | | Verses 17 and 18 are interesting as they read: |
| "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of | | | | 17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he |
| my days; your years go on through all generations. | | | | will not despise their plea. |
| 25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the | | | | 18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a |
| earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. | | | | people not yet created may praise the LORD: |
| 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear | | | | The question might arise here, could the destitute be |
| out like a garment. | | | | those that are yet unborn as well? Does the Lord |
| Like clothing you will change them and they will be | | | | give voice to their prayers in foreknowledge? |
| discarded. | | | | This psalm does go into the Lord giving voice to the |
| 27 But you remain the same, and your years will | | | | prayers of whoever he pleases even in the most |
| never end. | | | | extreme form of destitution as in the case of Abel |
| 28 The children of your servants will live in your | | | | who was slain by his brother Cain. |
| presence; their descendants will be established | | | | The Lord gave voice to his blood crying from the |
| before you." | | | | rocks. |
| The psalmist is young but is not in a youthful state. | | | | Genesis Chapter 4 verses 8 through 10 sa |
| He is in the throes of a desert like experience in just | | | | 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to |
| about every way, physically, spiritually, socially, and in | | | | the field." [a] And while they were in the field, Cain |
| his heightened sense of isolation to where all he has | | | | attacked his brother Abel and killed him. |
| left are enemies which is really like having no one left. | | | | 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your |
| The psalmist was in the position of someone who | | | | brother Abel?" |
| was say ill, but on top of that lacked access to | | | | "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's |
| doctors. The psalmist lacks access to all forms of the | | | | keeper?" |
| usual help out there including nearby spiritual guides. | | | | 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! |
| One of the indications of this psalm is that spring like | | | | Your brother's blood cries out to me from the |
| gifts of youth are no guarantee unless they are | | | | ground. |
| given and sustained by the Lord and youth is a | | | | The blood of Abel is given a voice in prayer to the |
| spiritual state or gift that we understand from other | | | | Lord and this goes to the Lord giving voice as he |
| verses of the Bible as something that can be | | | | pleases so it is also in some mysterious way possible |
| renewed by the Lord even physically. | | | | that he gives a voice to those in far away |
| Psalm 103 verse 5 says: | | | | generations into the future. It was still the voice of |
| 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so | | | | Abel that held sway as compared to Cain's voice |
| that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. | | | | and what had happened did not change this. |
| The rolling in of good things also involves a renewal | | | | Luke 19,40 says: |
| of youth and this is what the psalmist does need | | | | "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, |
| even though he is young himself. | | | | the stones will cry out." |
| While this psalmist is younger, even if he had been | | | | But this also goes to the practical problems of the |
| older the Lord could renew his youth like the eagles | | | | psalmist, who has sunk quite low in the dross of |
| and even though he is younger, he still needs this | | | | troubles yet the Lord will if he pleases give voice to |
| particular blessing. | | | | his prayers and others who may be in similar or like |
| So a major point of this psalm, goes to that even a | | | | sinking circumstances, the regard of the Lord with |
| youth can need their youth renewed like the eagle. | | | | respect to prayer is up to him and there is no other |
| This type of spiritual and physical blessing is not | | | | arbiter on this. |
| limited to those who are older. | | | | The challenge of this psalm is to bring about a vision |
| While he images being a desert owl or lonely bird, this | | | | of faith and areas of faith even from points of |
| is not where he needs to be. He needs to be as the | | | | destitution and in a broadening understanding of how |
| renewed eagle. | | | | the Lord works with change in all his views of the |
| While there is something left, with the owl | | | | earth and its seasons, and how the measures of his |
| symbolizing wisdom and the retention of wisdom, this | | | | will contains ways that are different from the |
| is a symbol that he has retained wisdom and the gift | | | | measures we use in sometimes wanting to find that |
| of wisdom even in the parched wilderness of his | | | | one right way and just ride that way all the way |
| experience which is robbing him of his youth at the | | | | home rather than understanding the Lord may have |
| least. | | | | many and varied ways for us to surf. |
| The bird on the rooftop symbolizes he still has his | | | | |