Psalm 86 | “Help for the Day of Trouble, Part One”

“Few of Days and Full of Trouble”

The Bible, and our experience, teaches us that our lives are “few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).  Jesus says that each day will bring “its own trouble” (Mt. 6:34).  As David Powlison says in his excellent book God’s Grace in Your Suffering, “God never establishes a no-fly zone keeping all problems away.  He never promises that your life will be safe, easy, peaceful, healthy, and prosperous.  On the contrary, you and I are certain to experience danger, hardship, turmoil, ill health, and loss.  And some of God’s beloved children live lives particularly fraught with physical pain, poverty, isolation, betrayal, and loss.  For all of us, death is the inevitable and impending final affliction.”  As Jesus said, in this world we will have trouble (Jn. 16:33).

But Powlison goes on to point out that we live in specifics, not generalities.  None of us suffer in general.  We all struggle in particular ways.  So as we think about how God aims to help us in our times of trouble, let’s take a moment and put our troubles on the table.  What specific things are troubling you?  What particular areas of your life are painful?  What wound are you still carrying?  What is the hardest thing you’re facing now?  What are you afraid you might have to go through someday?  Think about it and get specific.  Write down what comes to mind.  Talk this over with a spouse or friend.  God wants to enter into your specific suffering.  He has grace for your particular situation. 

A Prayer for Our Day of Trouble

One of the ways God’s grace comes to us in our time of need is through the Psalms.  Our text this morning and next Sunday morning is Psalm 86.  It can be found on page 462 in the pew Bibles. 

Psalm 86 is “A Prayer of David.”  He wrote this prayer of lament while he was being persecuted by his enemies (v. 14).  It may’ve been when Saul was trying to kill him, when his own son Absalom was trying to take his kingdom away, or some other incident.  This psalm applies most specifically to those who’re going through the affliction of persecution.  But there’s a phrase in verse 7 that allows us to apply this psalm more broadly.  “In the day of my trouble I call upon you.”  Any “day of trouble” is in the view of this psalm.  It speaks to us in any kind of affliction.

Brewing on Psalm 86

What I want to do this week and next is meditate on this psalm together.  Donald Whitney says that meditation is “filling your mind with God and His truth,” and “letting the Bible brew in the brain.”  He says, “If you want to get warm, you have to linger by the fire.”  The reason we feel so cold spiritually is because we fail to linger by the warmth of the fire of God’s word. 

Over these two weeks, I want us to linger by the fire of Psalm 86 and let it brew in our collective brain in hopes that its truth will help us in our day of trouble.  The way I want to do this is by making nineteen observations, in no particular order, from this psalm.  We’ll do six this week and thirteen next week. 

Again, Psalm 86 is a prayer of David prayed in the midst of affliction.  So I want us to see what we can learn about God and ourselves and prayer when we walk through affliction.  Each observation will finish the sentence, “David’s prayer teaches us that…”

David’s Prayer Teaches Us about Priorities in Prayer

The first thing David’s prayer teaches us is about priorities in prayer.  David doesn’t start his prayer with his specific problem.  He doesn’t mention it until verse 14.  He starts with a general confession of his need, not his problem (v. 1). 

David exercises spiritual self-discipline by beginning his prayer with a confession of his need, then moving on to his relationship with God (v. 2) and God’s character and sovereign rights (vv. 8-10).  David’s prayer is thus a petition, not a tirade.  He has a genuine problem and he asks God to do specific things about it.  But not before acknowledging his need and God’s character.

We’re often tempted to begin our prayers, especially in times of affliction, with a catalogue of all the things we want God to fix, rather than coming to God under control, remembering who we are and who he is.  Prayers of praise and confession and thanksgiving should precede our prayers of petition.  The reason they often don’t, if we’re honest, is because we see God as nothing more than the fixer of our problems.  Our prayers can reveal our pride.  We can be deceived into thinking we’re close to God just because we pray when in reality we only pray because we want life to be easier, not because we love God or recognize his holiness and our helplessness. 

David’s Prayer Teaches Us about Having a Personal Relationship with God

Secondly, David’s prayer teaches us about having a personal relationship with God.  As I’ve meditated on this psalm, one of the first things I was struck by is how often David says “O Lord.”  He says it ten times in seventeen verses (vv. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15).  He says “O God” once and “Lord” once (vv. 14, 17). 

This tells us that David’s prayer is to a Person he knows well.  He’s having a personal conversation with a personal God.  He talks to God using his personal name, “Yahweh” (“LORD”), but also using “Adonai” (“Lord”) and “Elohim” (“God”).  David is praying to a God he knows well, to a God he knows by several titles.  He’s praying to his God (v. 2).

It can be distracting when someone prays and says “Lord” every other word.  But David’s regular reference to the Lord in his prayer tells us that he’s not praying to some abstract or generic deity.  He’s praying to a God he knows well, to a God he knows on a first name basis, to a God he has an intimate personal relationship with.

David’s Prayer Teaches Us to Give Good Reasons for Our Prayer Requests

Thirdly, David’s prayer teaches us to give good reasons for our prayer requests.  Throughout this psalm, David gives reasons for the things he asks for.  For example, in verse 1, he asks God to listen to and answer his prayer, “for I am poor and needy.”  In verse 3, he asks God to be gracious to him, “for to you do I cry all the day.”  In verse 7, he says that the reason he prays to God in the day of his trouble is because God answers him. 

David’s requests are built on his knowledge of and trust in the character and promises of God.  He expects God to listen to his prayer because he knows that God loves to help the “poor and needy.”  He expects God to give him grace because he knows that God loves to give grace to those who cry out to him all the day.  None of David’s reasons refer to his goodness or merit.  They all point to God’s kindness and grace (v. 5). 

David supports his requests in verses 16-17 with the Lord’s words from Exodus 34:6 in verse 15.  Because God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” David asks him to give him grace and strength and salvation and a sign of favor and help and comfort.  David bases his prayers on God’s character.  One old Presbyterian commentator says it like this, “All our hope and all our confidence must ultimately rest on the known nature of God revealed in holy Scripture.” 

Our prayers gain power and traction when we pray things that align with God’s character and purposes.  We shouldn’t expect God to answer prayers that aren’t based in biblical truth.  For example, if we’re grieving the loss of a loved one, we shouldn’t pray that God would take the grief away, but rather than he would comfort us in it.  Why?  Because God never promises to keep us from the pain of separation that death brings.  He does promise to comfort us in our grief.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Cor. 1:3-4a).

David’s Prayer Teaches Us to Remember the Greatness of God’s Love during Affliction

Fourthly, David’s prayer teaches us to remember the greatness of God’s love during affliction.  Look how David describes God’s love in verses 5, 13, and 15.  God’s love is “great” and “abounding.”  It’s also “steadfast.”  When we see the phrase “steadfast love” we need to think of the special kind of love that God has for his people.  This phrase translates the Hebrew word hesed and refers to God’s covenant love for Israel.  God loves all people in a general way.  But he loves his chosen people in a special way.  I love all people generally but Suzy especially.

God’s “steadfast love” is his loyal love to his chosen people.  The adjectives used to describe it (“great” and “abounding”) tell us that it knows no limits.  There’s a wealth in God’s love toward his people.  It overflows in generosity, kindness, patience, and affection.  Think of how a parent loves a child.  It’s almost impossible to describe.  It’s not based on circumstances or behavior.  It’s just there, and it’s loyal and great and abounding.  This is how God loves his people.

We need to remember that God’s love is steadfast and great in the day of our trouble.  Our circumstances don’t tell us anything about the loyalty of God toward those he loves.  Our pain and affliction often lead us to question God’s love.  Not so with David.  He knew that there was one unshakable reality in his life, the steadfast love of God.  Some people hated him, but he knew that God loved him. 

David’s Prayer Teaches Us to Pray with Earnestness

Fifthly, David’s prayer teaches us to pray with earnestness.  David isn’t praying casually.  He’s praying his guts out.  He’s crying to the Lord “all the day” (v. 3).  He’s lifting up his soul (v. 4).  He’s pleading with the Lord for grace (v. 6).  He gives thanks with his whole heart (v. 12). 

David’s prayer comes from a place deep inside him.  He’s praying with passion, seriousness, intensity, and sincerity.  He’s not just repeating spiritual words he heard at church.  He’s talking to the Lord out of the overflow of his heart. 

Praying with earnestness doesn’t just mean praying loudly.  Loud words isn’t earnestness.  One commentator says it this way, “That prayer which brings consolation principally consists in an elevation of the heart, not of the voice.”  Verse 4 says that David was “lifting up his soul” to the Lord, not just lifting up his voice.

How do you pray with earnestness?  You start by asking God to help you see God rightly (v. 11).  Then you ask God to help you see yourself rightly (v. 1).  As long as you think you’re strong and that God exists to serve you, your prayers will be shallow and superficial.  But when God gives you a heart to see his greatness and your smallness, your prayers will mature and become more serious, sober, and genuine, and perhaps more likely to be answered because God loves honesty.

David’s Prayer Teaches Us to Be Honest with God

Sixthly, David’s prayer teaches us to be honest with God.  David honestly assesses his situation (vv. 14, 17).  There are unbelievers who hate him and want him dead.  This is his specific need and he takes it to God.  He doesn’t beat around the bush about what’s happening to him.  He doesn’t sugar coat the situation.  He honestly lays it out before God. 

But the focus of his prayer isn’t on what’s happening to him, but what’s happening in him.  Throughout the prayer he confesses his poverty and his need for grace (vv. 1, 3, 6, 16).  He’s the king, so he’s not literally poor.  He’s poor in spirit.  His heart is weak and full of fear.  He doesn’t know what to do so he asks God to teach him (v. 11).  He feels weak so he prays for strength (v. 16).  He’s struggling with doubt, so he asks God to give him tangible evidence of his goodness (v. 17). 

King David was arguably the greatest hero of the Old Testament.  Yet this psalm says that he struggled with all the same things we struggle with.  Have you ever been hated or opposed by unbelievers?  Have you ever felt so weak you didn’t think you could go another day?  Have you ever been paralyzed by fear?  Have you ever had no idea what to do next?  Have you ever doubted the goodness of God?  If so, then you’re in good company.

Honesty is the Way to Growth

What often sets us apart from giants in the faith like David is our unwillingness to be honest about where we’re at.  As long as we pretend like everything is okay when everything isn’t okay, our faith will be choked by our pride.  The reason many of us struggle so deeply in our affliction is because we aren’t being honest with ourselves, with God, or with anyone else. 

Sometimes I’ll ask people what I can be praying for in their lives or what they’re struggling with or just how they’re doing in general, and the answer is basically, “Everything is great, no struggles here.”  Of course there are times when our lives are going more smoothly than others.  There are times of war and times of peace.  But even in the times of peace, our lives are full of trouble.  Jesus says that each day will bring “its own trouble” (Mt. 6:34). 

The person who never admits or acknowledges any “trouble” is either walking in self-deception or self-preservation.  They either don’t want to see the truth or they don’t want others to see the truth.  Pretending like everything is okay will never lead to healing and peace.  The help of God comes to those who admit their need for it (v. 7). 

God wants us to be honest with ourselves, with him, and with each other.  When we hide our afflictions from others, we’re encouraging others to do the same.  Our dishonesty, then, actually affects the whole church, stunting its growth in the truth and in holiness.  When we seek to appear strong and never admit weakness, we’re saying that we value self-preservation over the good of the community of Christ.  We’re revealing our selfishness.  We’d rather keep our stuff close to the chest than encourage others who’re struggling by telling them that we struggle too. 

I love the servant-heart of so many in our church.  Though we may be quick to serve, we must also be quick to be served.  We must let the body of Christ minister to us.  We must receive the grace that God has for us in the community of faith.  But this will never happen as long as we pretend like everything is okay. 

We Are Not Meant to Struggle Alone

Let me close by making this as concrete as possible.  If you’re struggling with something, you need to talk to God and to someone else.  It could be anything, small or large.  It could be a fear of dying, difficult pregnancy, infertility, fear of not getting pregnant, frustrations because of singleness, conflict in your marriage, drama at work, drama in your family, pornography addiction, food addiction, entertainment and media addiction, lack of self-discipline, lack of compassion for those who don’t know Christ, grief over losing a loved one, fear of losing a loved one, struggling to make ends meet financially, struggling to know whether or not you’re a Christian, loneliness, stress, guilt, anger, or lack of love for Jesus.  And a thousand other things.

The point is simple: we were never meant to struggle alone.  “In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me” (v. 7).  My own life has proven that there’s freedom and life and repentance and joy to be found by walking in honest relationships with other brothers in Christ.  Proverbs 18:1, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”  Choosing to keep your afflictions to yourself is not a smart thing to do.  There’s no life for you there.  There’s only more of what you already have. 

None of us suffer in general.  We all struggle in particular ways.  Take a moment and put your troubles on the table.  What specific things are troubling you?  What particular areas of your life are painful?  What wound are you still carrying?  What is the hardest thing you’re facing now?  What are you afraid you might have to go through someday?  Think about it and get specific. 

Christ came to give us new life in community with each other.  One way we’re going to try to foster this is by forming a few small groups, or community groups, for the purpose of getting in closer proximity to each other and going deeper in relationship with each other.  It’s hard to build deep and lasting relationships if we only see each other once a week before or after a worship service.  Pray for Nick and I to have wisdom in planning these groups.   

Christ also came to give us new life with God.  God wants to draw near to those who’re weak and hurting and struggling (v. 5).  Those who call out to Christ and turn away from themselves taste God’s goodness and receive his forgiveness and love.  They finally find a Rock to put their feet on that’ll never move no matter how hard the storms blow. 

Jesus wants to be your help in the day of your trouble, both now and forevermore.  In the day of your trouble, call upon him and he will answer you.