It’s 5:00 am on a Saturday morning. Last week was my first week back at work and students start Monday. Come Monday, I can no longer hit snooze when the alarm sounds at 4:45 am. So honestly, I’m a little ticked with my body for not enjoying these last days of sleeping in.
But I’m awake. There is a lot to be done so I start by reading the word of God. When I opened to my reading plan, this is the first thing I read:
“A prayer for all those who are overwhelmed and for all the discouraged who come to pour our their hearts before God.”
Okay Holy Spirit, you got my attention at 5 am.
This is the heading for Psalm 102. I’m not sure of its author. But for 11 verses, the author describes his woes. According to the author, his days of happiness have gone up in smoke. He is sick, skinny, and feverish. He is depressed, lonely, forgotten, abandoned, sleepless, and cold. He has been mocked and insulted.
This dude had it bad.
While hopefully none of my readers lives are this bad, I’m sure many of you are feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, even hopeless. Maybe you could go on for 100 verses on your misfortune.
But let me just tell you, healing is NOT found in verses 1-11. There was no power in verses 1-11. I was not stirred as I read verses 1-11. But when the Psalmist, stopped detailing his problems and began agreeing with His promises, there was a shift in the Spirit. There was a shift in the atmosphere.
God can handle your verses 1-11 attitude. He will bring comfort and cry with you. We all have our verses 1-11 moments. But hear me friends, when I tell you: WE WERE NOT CREATED TO LIVE IN verses 1-11.
We were created to live in verses 12 & 13, remembering God’s goodness, declaring His majesty, believing His promises are Yes and Amen. We were called to prophesy, “Now is the time for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” We were created to live in Hope!
Everyday, we get to make the choice.
Verses 1-11 is a complaint wrapped in a prayer. That’s a lament.
So, at 5:00 am, I’m praying the prayer that delivers me from discouragement. Im praying the prayer that will overwhelm my overwhelment. I’m praying the prayer of verse 12&13. Will you join me?
“But then I remember that you, O Lord, still sit enthroned as King over all! The fame of your name will be revealed to every generation. I know you are about to arise and show your tender love to Zion. Now is the time, Lord, for your compassion and mercy to be poured out— the appointed time has come for your prophetic promises to be fulfilled!”
Psalms 102:12-13 TPT