“He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.” (Ps 102:17-18 AV)
The psalmist tells us why the promise of verse seventeen appears. The writer has learned it. He need not remind himself that God does answer the prayer of those who have come to the end of their strength and resources. He has lived it. We don’t know who the writer is nor do we need to. The title of the psalm, which some believe was provided at the time of inspiration reads, “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.” This means the words of the writer are as much an assurance to himself as they will be for all those generations to come. He knows, by experience, God will regard and answer the prayer of this psalm. He knows God loves him and cares about the situation in which he suffers. He has been here before. He will be here again. What he hopes he can do is to encourage those who have not lived through as many trying days as he has that God is good to all those who call upon His name. He hopes that in some way, his experience will help others who will face similar circumstances and that God is not too small that He cannot handle anything that comes our way.
It is interesting what your kids pick up as you raise them in your home. No home is perfect. Some troubles and trials interrupt life regularly. Having served in ministry for almost forty years, our home was not without some trying times. There was the occasional passing of someone close to us. There were difficult business meetings. There were times of spiritual dearth as well as great revival. There were times of oppositions so called. There were times of deep need that no one but our family knew about. There were times the adversary made our service and sacrifice especially difficult. But there were many more times when our faith was tried to the breaking point. Times when we didn’t know how we were going to make ends meet. Times when one or more of our children were severely ill. Times when the power bill was so past due, we had to live without electricity until the next payday. There were times when our car broke down and there was no way we could get around. Times when neighbors didn’t appreciate what I did for a living. Tests of faith included the lean years when it seemed no one cared enough to consider eternal life. There were times of doubt as to where the LORD would have me to serve. Serving God in full-time Christian service is not for the faint of heart. You will be taxed to the limit. But through all of this, our boys saw something we were not aware of. To us, we were hanging on for our dear lives. To them, Mom and Dad had faith they wished someday to emulate. I am astounded that even today, they pass on an accolade or two. It was all God and none of us! His faithfulness, and showing that faithfulness through my wife and I, is the main reason they too serve God with their lives.
When I read the verse above, I have to ask myself; what kind of hope am I leaving for those who will follow? Is there enough evidence in my life of pleading with God in times of deep need and watching what God will do? Are there sufficient times of God’s intervention that help others endure hardships as I have been blessed to do? Is the power of God something they see so that when times are especially difficult, those who observe God’s hand through my life can take comfort in the same God loves them? Our writer is transparent here. He describes his struggle. He shares his challenge. Not that others would pity him, but that they might find themselves in the same struggle. He wants them to see the God who answered him will also answer them. The record is for those who will follow that we might make their way a little bit easier.
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