'JESUS DIDN’T ABANDON ME IN HIS DARKEST MOMENTS, HE WON’T ABANDON ME NOW IN MINE'

'JESUS DIDN'T ABANDON ME IN HIS DARKEST MOMENTS, WHY WOULD I THINK HE WOULD ABANDON ME NOW IN MINE?'

IT WAS THIS TIM KELLER QUOTE THAT HELPED PLANT THIS SEED OF INSIGHT (ABOUT JESUS BEING WITH ME IN MY SUFFERING) INTO MY HEART THROUGH HIS SERMON CALLED 'HEMAN'S CRY OF DARKNESS' BASED ON PSALM 88.

IT IS A PSALM OF LAMENT AND UNLIKE MOST OF PSALMS DOESN'T END IN RESOLVE. THE LAST VERSE IS 'DARKNESS IS MY CLOSEST FRIEND'. THERE IS NOT A HINT OF LIGHT GETTING INTO THE AUTHOR'S SOUL.

IT WAS THIS SERMON THAT HAS BECOME MY GO TO SERMON WHEN I AM REALLY HURTING, WHETHER TIRED AND WIRED PHYSICALLY, OR DISTRAUGHT EMOTIONALLY. WHEN I AM IN A DARK PLACE I NEED PERSPECTIVE AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW OUT THERE THAT MEETS ME THERE AND HELPS ME THROUGH IT.

TIM KELLER UNPACKS PSALM 88 HELPING ME TO REALIZE:

1. SPIRITUAL AND PERSONAL DARKNESS CAN LAST A LONG TIME, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. SUFFERING CAN BE EXPERIENCED AS INWARD OR OUTWARD DARKNESS OR BOTH, A DUAL DARKNESS. DURING DARKNESS OF SOUL IT CAN BE HARD TO FEEL GOD'S PRESENCE, CARE, AND LOVE. YOU MAY EVEN FEEL LIKE GOD'S WRATH IS ON YOU.

2. DARK TIMES CAN OFTEN BE THE BEST PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT GOD'S GRACE.

3. DARK TIMES CAN BE THE VERY BEST CIRCUMSTANCE FOR YOU TO GROW IN GREATNESS.

4. MY DARKNESS CAN BE RELATIVIZED IN RELATION TO THE SUFFERING OF JESUS.

AS A CHRISTIAN I AM NOT IMMUNE TO SUFFERING JUST BECAUSE I TRUST IN GOD. THIS PSALM ASSURES ME THAT IT IS COMMON TO SUFFER AND THAT I AM NOT UNIQUE OR ALONE. THE PSALM ALSO GIVES ME A SENSE OF PERMISSION TO ACCEPT AND LIVE WITH MY SUFFERING NOT TRYING TO ESCAPE IT. MY SUFFERING IS NOT AN INDICATION THAT I AM ABANDONED BY GOD.

THIS PSALM WARNS ME THAT SUFFERING CAN HAPPEN TO A DEVOTE FOLLOWER OF GOD. IN FACT I SHOULD EXPECT IT.

TIM KELLER POINTS OUT THAT THE WORD 'DARKNESS' APPEARS THREE TIMES IN THE PSALM, VERSES 6, 12, AND 18. HE SHARED THAT IN THE HEBREW TEXT 'DARKNESS' IS THE LAST WORD IN THE PSALM.

TIM KELLER STARTS HIS SERMON BY ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.

WHAT KIND OF PRAYER HAS DARKNESS AS THE LAST WORD?

WHAT IS THIS KIND OF PRAYER DOING IN THE BIBLE?

TIM KELLER EXPLAINS HOW WE NORTH AMERICAN CHRISTIANS ARE NAIVE ABOUT THE INEVITABILITY OF SUFFERING IN THIS LIFE. AS A RESULT WE ARE OFTEN TAKEN OFF GUARD WHEN WE SUFFER. WHEN THINGS GO WRONG WE ARE OVERTHROWN BY IT AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROCESS IT THROUGH SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. TIM KELLER EXHORTS THAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF OUR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD. IF WE THINK WE ARE EXEMPT OR SHOULD BE EXEMPT WE WILL BE MORE DISAPPOINTED WHEN IT DOES COME.

WE CAN TEND TO TAKE THE DARKNESS OF THE MOMENT OR SEASON WE ARE IN AND INTERPRET OUR WHOLE LIFE IN LIGHT OF IT.

OUR DARKNESS IS NOT 'TOTAL DARKNESS' LIKE JESUS FACED IN HIS DEATH FOR OUR SIN. IT IS NOT FOREVER DARKNESS. OUR DARKNESS IS NOT ABSOLUTE, OBJECTIVE, COMPLETE, OR PERMANENT. GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED US IN OUR SUFFERING. OUR SUFFERING IS NOT GOD'S WRATH UPON US AS JESUS EXPERIENCED FOR US. IN OUR SUFFERING IT CAN OFTEN FEEL AS THOUGH GOD HAS ABANDONED US, BUT IT IS ONLY APPARENT AND NOT REAL.

KELLER REMINDS US HOW JESUS KNOWS AND IS ACQUAINTED WITH OUR SUFFERING. HE ASKS IF THE LAST VERSE OF EACH OF PSALM 88 AND PSALM 39 REMIND US OF ANYONE. 'TURN YOUR FACE FROM ME.' AND 'DARKNESS IS MY CLOSEST FRIEND.'

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. [46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? MATTHEW 27:45-46

IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE JESUS NEVER ABANDONED US, HE TOOK ON THE CROSS JESUS TO TAKE ON ULTIMATE DARKNESS. JESUS GOT THE TOTAL DARKNESS. HE WAS UTTERLY ABANDONED. HE BORE THE WRATH.

YOU CAN LISTEN FOR FREE TO THIS SERMON BY TIM KELLER BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK: https://podcast.gospelinlife.com/e/heman-s-cry-of-darkness/

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