Up From The Lowest Point

“For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” (Ps 86:13 AV)

 

The doctrinal application is obvious.  Because of the offering of Jesus Christ, we have no fear of the lowest hell.  However, our psalmist has a different meaning in mind.  Hell here is meant metaphorically.  The hell to which he is referring is unforgiveness.  In particular, the psalmist is grateful God has forgiven him and that His mercy fails not.  This got me thinking.  I wonder how low of a hell I would have been in had not Jesus saved my wretched soul.  As discouraging as this world can get, the verse above suggests it would be a whole lot worse if Jesus hadn’t died.  Then another thought occurred to me.  Those without Christ do not realize how deep of a hell in which they abide.  The lowest hell is the lowest existence one can be in.  Those without the mercy of God are in the lowest existence that can be without God.  In this life, this is not a joy-filled and fulfilling existence.  In the next, it is torment forever and forever.  Our lives may be a struggle.  They may be filled with trials of faith and persecution.  But they are by no means a living hell.

Paul records the answer to the prayer he received from the LORD when he petitioned to have a deep trial removed.  He asked three times that it be removed.   “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Co 12:9 AV)  These words were not words born of experience by Paul.  These words were not words others used to encourage him.  These words were directly from the LORD Jesus Christ.  No matter what Paul was going through at the moment, it didn’t matter.  Whatever it was, the grace of God was greater.  Some speculate what it might have been.  Paul never tells us.  And I am glad he did not.  If he had, we would limit God to those set of circumstances.  Some speculate Paul was going blind.  If so, then these words would only apply to those who are losing their eyesight.  Others speculate Paul might be referring to some dark time of persecution.  But if so, only those who may be suffering for their faith would find comfort in these words.  The thing is, without knowing what it was exactly, we can take comfort they apply to any and all troubles of life.

Jesus saved us from misery.  The first misery is the misery as a result of being an enemy of God.  The lack of internal peace is a misery all on its own.  But Jesus saved us out of all troubles.  He saved us from the lowest hell both figuratively and real.  We will not have to suffer in a devil’s hell.  Jesus’ deliverance doesn’t end there.  This does not mean the absence of suffering.  Peter tells us we will suffer persecution and trials of faith.  That is part of the Christian experience.  They are the only ways in which we can glorify God and grow, respectively.  What this means, however, is we do not have to see these times as a living hell.  This is not what God meant for us.  If these times are something so overwhelming that we cannot handle it, it means we are trying to do so in our own strength.  Look at what Jesus tells Paul above.  The grace of God is sufficient.  We are not.  In our weakness is His strength made perfect, or complete.  We are overwhelmed and think our situation to be the lowest hell because we are trying to endure alone.  Not good.  Our writer praises God for delivering him from the lowest possible hell he was in at the moment.  Let Him do the same for you!