Which other Bible passages discuss feeling forsaken or overwhelmed by troubles? Why Psalm 88:4 Resonates The psalmist says, “I am counted with those who descend to the Pit; I am like a man without strength.” That sense of being dropped into a dark cavern echoes throughout Scripture. Psalms That Voice the Same Ache • Psalm 22:1 – “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my groaning.” • Psalm 13:1-2 – “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? … How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day?” • Psalm 42:9-11 – “I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have You forgotten me?’ … Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him.” • Psalm 77:7-9 – “Will the Lord spurn us forever? … Has His loving devotion ceased forever?” Notice the pattern: raw honesty, followed by a determined reach for hope. Prophets and Servants Who Hit Rock Bottom • Lamentations 3:1-9, 17-20 – Jeremiah feels walled in, shut out, and says, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.” • 1 Kings 19:4 – Elijah under the broom tree: “I have had enough, LORD… Take my life.” • Jonah 2:2-6 – From the fish’s belly: “From the depths of Sheol I called for help.” Even God’s chosen messengers felt abandoned, yet every account ends with the LORD re-entering the scene. Jesus, Our High Priest, Felt It Too • Matthew 26:38-39 – In Gethsemane He confides, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death.” • Matthew 27:46 – On the cross He cries, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” By quoting Psalm 22, Jesus validates every human lament while also fulfilling the psalm’s closing victory. Apostolic Struggles and Promises of Presence • 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life… that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” • 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – “Hard pressed… but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken.” • Hebrews 13:5 – “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (citing Deuteronomy 31:6) Threads of Hope in Every Lament • Every cry of abandonment is met by a deeper promise of God’s nearness. • Honest lament is not faithlessness; it is faith expressed in the dark, trusting that the Father who hears will answer. • Psalm 88 ends without a clear resolution, yet it was preserved in Scripture—reminding us that even unanswered prayers are heard and held by God. |
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