YEAR 2, WEEK 36, Day 7, Sunday, 7 September 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 7 September 2025:

Psalm 88 — “I cry out day and night before you…. I am a man who has no strength…. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep…. You have caused my companions to shun me…. I suffer your terrors; I am helpless…. But I, O Lord, cry to you.”

Psalm 88 has been described as the most sorrowful Psalm in the Bible. The entire Psalm describes utter despair and sorrow from beginning to end and doesn’t seem to end on a positive note. Many believe this psalm reveals a person suffering the consequences of a terrible sin, having isolated Himselfhimself from God and others, now pleading for mercy and grace from God. Can you relate to this Psalm? Have you ever been in deep despair (v 3-5), felt forsaken by God (v 6-7), felt abandoned by your friends and family (v 8), felt trapped or helpless (v 8), felt as if you were dying without remedy (v 9-12), felt God had turned His back on you (v 13-14), felt that bad things always happen and nothing ever changes (v 15-17), felt like every day you wake up in darkness (v 18)? If so, Psalm 88 is for you.

God put this Psalm in the Bible so you could know that God understands the full range of human emotions, and that in this broken world we will at times feel this way. The promises of the Redeemer come to people who live in a world where such things take place – no matter how you feel, God knows exactly what you are going through. God wants you to understand that sometimes life will seem overwhelming, and sometimes you might feel like He has abandoned you, though He hasn’t. You are not the first of God’s people to feel defeated at times. God invites you to be honest about what you are feeling and to cry out to Him in faith. Psalm 88 reminds us that during desperate times, we must run to God and not from Him. The Psalmist has poured out his emotions before the Lord, in all honesty, holding back nothing. Do you honestly confess your fears, doubts, struggles, and failures to the Lord in deep prayer?

Knowing that God is love, is all powerful, and desires only the very best for us, we must see our crises differently. In our crises, God is always doing a few things at once: revealing the truth of Himself to us in a greater way, revealing the truth of ourselves to us in a greater way, revealing the truth of this world to us in a greater way, revealing Himself to others through us in a greater way, preparing us for greater things to come, and using us as instruments of His grace and His glory in this world. In your crises, God is reconciling you to Himself, sanctifying you, and glorifying Himself. Trust Him through the process. We will all go through crises, and we will all die a physical death (unless Christ returns in our day). How important is it to have the right perspective on suffering and death?

What is particularly interesting about Psalm 88 is that the title says that it is a song of the Sons of Korah, the doorkeepers of the tabernacle. The Korahites would lead the Israelites in procession to the tent of worship and sacrifice. Why in the world would they want to sing such a depressing song on the way to worship? Because this was a reminder to the people that God invites us to bring our darkest laments to Him and to the family of God – “Come to me as you are, with all your doubt, fear, pain and discouragement. Hold before me your shattered hopes and dreams, and find redemption and rest when it seems there is none to be found. Don’t hesitate because your heart is weak, and your mind is confused. Don’t hesitate because you have questioned my goodness and love. Come as you are because my sacrifice is for you, just as you are (Tim S. Lane, Paul David Tripp).”

Not only does God call you to rush into His loving arms in your despair, He also calls you to surround yourself with other loving Christians who can minister to your needs. Who are the Christians in your life that can give you support when you need it? Remember, you were saved into a family; God never intended for you to be alone. The “It’s just you and me Jesus” mentality is contrary to the Great Commandment of loving both God and others.

• Romans 8:28 — And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
• Romans 8:29 — For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Sometimes God uses hard times to draw you back to Him as He did with the Psalmist. God may have to tear down your self-confidence so that your confidence, your hope, will be in Him alone. We are easily deceived by the world, the flesh (our self-centered, selfish desires and pride), and the devil. We easily lose perspective on who God really is and who we really are (or aren’t).

With our sin glasses on, God becomes smaller (the opposite of glorified), while we see ourselves as becoming bigger. We try to ‘lord’ over our own lives, and we try to build our own kingdoms. The focus of our lives becomes ourselves, and we tend to see God as working for us rather than the other way around. In pursuit of our earthly goals and ambitions, we place our trust in our own understanding and strength, and we take comfort in the social, familial, financial, and emotional ‘strongholds’ that we build up for ourselves rather than in God alone. We become like a pilot who thinks ‘(s)he can fly rather than the airplane itself, a pilot who has taken the airplane for granted, until the engines stop running; then all the pilot’s thoughts are, once again, on the plane.

God may have to tear your idols down in order to bring you back to a right relationship with Him. The psalmist cried out day and night to the Lord when his personal strength was gone and when no one else remained to comfort him. The psalmist recognized that God had “caused” these things to happen. Of course, there are many reasons why bad things happen to Christians, but nothing happens which The Almighty does not allow. And in all things, whether they appear good or bad to us, God is working to bring us closer to Him. (Romans 8:28) During trials we must always reexamine our perspective and draw ever closer to God, not further away.

In the desert, Satan tried to tempt Jesus to make Himself bigger and the Father smaller, to pursue His personal power and His own kingdom on earth; but Jesus remained solely focused on advancing the Kingdom of God in accordance with the will of His Father. Jesus did nothing that was not directed by the Father: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19) Likewise, Jesus commanded His disciples to follow Him and only Him: “Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)

Jesus built no personal ‘strongholds’ on earth: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) Jesus cried out day and night to the Lord, well before the cross, because His life WAS the Father. To us Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus gave us the example: “Do NOTHING from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:2-8)

Our daily cross carrying involves dying each day of self and claiming the “mind” of Christ which is already “ours in Christ Jesus.” Our mission makes us servants to God and others, making us the very least among them. Yes, this is a daily process that involves daily, continual repentance, claiming the promise of 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous [just] to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness.” Each day, in grace, God calls us to grow into the image of Christ – “Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Peter 3:18) We get NO glory, and our reward is Christ. Don’t let the world, the flesh, and the devil deceive you into wandering away from the Shepherd.

The key to handling any challenge in life, including our own failures, is to draw closer to God (not further away), trusting Him to bring all things together for good. (Romans 8:28)

Psalm 88:1-2 — O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!

The psalmist feels utterly abandoned, yet still cries to the Lord. Even in despair, he calls God “the God of my salvation,” clinging to faith while suffocating in sorrow. This models raw honesty before God, showing that true faith does not deny pain but brings it to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6).

Psalm 88:3-7 — For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol… you have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves.

The psalmist feels crushed beneath God’s wrath. Though not all suffering is a direct result of sin, here the weight of divine judgment is felt deeply. This points forward to Christ, who bore the full weight of God’s wrath for us on the cross (Isaiah 53:5–6). What the psalmist experienced in shadow, Christ endured in fullness, so that those who trust Him never face abandonment from God (Hebrews 13:5).

Psalm 88:8-12 – You have caused my companions to shun me….

The psalmist laments broken relationships, isolation, and seeming silence from God. His questions — “Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you?” — reflect deep despair. Yet even his questions are acts of faith; he brings his doubts to the Lord rather than turning away.

Psalm 88:13-18 – You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

The psalm closes still in darkness. Unlike other laments, no resolution is given. You can trust God in your despair and in His silence. Draw closer to Him as you wait for His perfect provision. Remember, God isn’t just seeking your obedience through hard times, He is seeking your character development into Christlikeness (Romans 8:29). This means that at times, He is not just going to fix everything for you and give you all the answers, but rather He is going to give you the opportunity to do His will without being told to do so or how to do so. He is going to let you make your own choices to reveal who you really are, which isn’t a revelation to Him but rather to you and those around you, and He offers life challenges as a gift for growth without condemnation. All of our challenges are ordained by God. We can embrace them or bemoan them – how we choose to receive them reveals what we really think about our Sovereign Lord and also determines the quality of our lives.

• Proverbs 3:11-12 — My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
• John 6:43 — Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — …give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

2 Samuel 24:1-4 — Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”… But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

David orders a census, which is not sinful in itself, but his motive is rooted in pride and self-reliance. He desired to measure strength in numbers rather than trust in God. Joab, though often reckless, here discerns the danger and warns David, but David overrules him. This demonstrates how subtle sin can be: even an administrative act can be corrupted by prideful motives (Proverbs 16:18).

This is a difficult Bible verse to understand, an apparent contradiction in God’s word. Did God “tempt” or force David to sin? 1 Chronicles 21:1 says, “Now Satan [rather than God] stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” And James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” Simply stated, the Lord tests and Satan tempts –

• Psalm 11:5 — The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
• Psalm 26:2 — Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
• Psalm 66:10 — For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
• Proverbs 17:3 — The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4 — …but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

Nothing happens outside of God’s Sovereignty. He governs all things. God is perfect in holiness and cannot sin or cause people to sin, but He does use evil and evildoers to test us and to accomplish His will – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good [even evil things], for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28, 29)

God allows (actually ordains) trials in your life, and He tests your heart and mind, not to tempt you but rather to draw you closer to Him and to develop in you Christ-like character. When you are tested, it is not so God can see the truth of your character (He already knows it), it is so you can see it, both the noble and ignoble. Sometimes God needs you to see where you lack faith and need to grow. Sometimes God tests you because He wants you to see the faith you didn’t even know you had in order to encourage you, build you up stronger in faith, reveal Himself to you in a greater way, and bring glory to Himself – “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son.” (Hebrews 11:17) In fact, James said that with faith in God, we should actually rejoice in our trials – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Sometimes, as in the case with David today, God will test your heart and mind to expose your sin, idolatry and hypocrisy. God’s will in your failures is to bring you to humble repentance, to draw you closer to Him, to sanctify you, to conform you to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), and to prepare you for greater faithful service in love. His desire is not to condemn you and destroy you but rather to reconcile you – “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

• Jeremiah 12:3 — But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you.
• James 1:12 — Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Temptation is another matter. Temptation is an enticement to sin and to dishonor God, and it comes from three sources: the world (2Peter 1:4, Galatians 1:4, 1John 2:15), the flesh (Romans 7:18, Galatians 5:19 – 21, James 1:14 – 15, etc.), and the devil (Ephesians 6:11, James 4:7). As James teaches, temptation, unlike testing, does not come directly from God, as it would be contrary to His holy essence.

Again, God allows the temptation in order to expose the truth of people’s hearts – you can’t really be tempted with what your heart doesn’t desire or detests. The Father allowed the ‘temptation’ of Jesus by Satan in the desert in order to expose the truth of Jesus’ righteous heart and bring glory to Him. Jesus was tempted externally by Satan, but He was not tempted internally, proving to be wholly faithful and the Son of God.

On the contrary, David was tempted both externally by Satan and internally within his own heart, exposing the pride that remained in both him and the Israelites. There was nothing inherently sinful about conducting a census, God had directed it before. What was sinful was not the conduct of the census but rather David’s motivation for conducting a census. God fully knew David’s heart and the sinful pride of the people, but they could not see it in themselves, so God had to expose it. So, when David wanted to conduct a census for all the wrong reasons, God essentially said, “Do what is on your heart,” turning David over to His own sinful desires that he would face the consequences.

When failure occurs, repentance inspired by faith in God’s grace leads us to discipline and sanctification rather than condemnation. As stated in Jeremiah 12:3, God’s intent is to test you “toward” Him and as Romans 8:29 says, so you may “be conformed to the image of his Son.” In today’s story, David repents and the plague is averted. Remember in the New Testament, both Judas and Peter betrayed Christ. Judas couldn’t bring Himself to repent and accept the forgiveness of God, and He killed himself. Peter, on the other hand, repented, accepted forgiveness, and was used mightily by God. Similarly, Paul, formerly Saul who had made a career of persecuting Christians, repented and went to his death boldly proclaiming Christ and glorifying Him. Repent when you fall short, have confidence in God’s grace, and glorify God boldly as a living testimony to the Gospel.

2 Samuel 24:3 — Why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

Again, David was measuring his might in pride as if Israel’s strength was a sign of his greatness rather than God’s. God will not share the glory. It is interesting that ruthless, prideful, Joab could see the sin David could not see. Joab, yes, Joab, tried to convince David not to do this thing, but David would not listen. Have you ever been blinded by pride this way? What were the consequences?

2 Samuel 24:10-14 — But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

David feels deep conviction once the census is complete. He confesses openly, showing that true repentance begins with owning our guilt. Yet, though forgiven, sin has consequences. God offers David a choice of three punishments, and David casts himself on God’s mercy rather than human cruelty: “Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great.” This is the heart of faith — trusting God’s mercy even when facing discipline.

In 2 Samuel 23, David received and recorded the direct word of God. However, now in his guilt, David could only feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit but could not hear God’s word. This time, God spoke to David through a prophet.

Repentance doesn’t mean you will escape God’s discipline. God’s discipline is not a form of revenge but rather God’s chisel to shape a hard heart. The amount of discipline required depends upon the hardness of the heart. True repentance accepts God’s discipline without resentment.

“Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.” Within His Sovereignty, God gives us freedom to choose, and He accomplishes His will regardless of our choices.

2 Samuel 24:15-17 — The plague devastates Israel, and David cries out, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

Other people do suffer because of your sins. Though God allows this suffering, it is not unjust. All are deserving of eternal death. In his discipline, God simply applies less grace to those who justly deserve none. And, He promises to bring all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. In discipline, even discipline unto death, one should remain grateful that any grace remains.

David takes responsibility, showing a shepherd’s heart. Yet ultimately it is Christ who fulfills this perfectly — the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

2 Samuel 24:16 — And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

God does show mercy in discipline.

2 Samuel 24:24 — I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.

Gad instructs David to build an altar on Araunah’s threshing floor. Araunah offers to give it freely, but David insists: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” Sacrifice must be costly to be true. David purchases the site, offers sacrifices, and the plague is stopped. Significantly, this site becomes the location of the future temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). Out of judgment and repentance comes a place of worship, foreshadowing how Christ’s sacrifice turns wrath into reconciliation.

True love is a true sacrifice.

2 Samuel 24:25 — And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

God honors your prayer of intercession for the sufferings of others when you repent and obey Him.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 7 September 2025: Both Psalm 88 and 2 Samuel 24 remind us of the seriousness of sin and the weight of its consequences. Sin isolates, blinds, and devastates. Yet both passages also direct us to turn toward God in honesty and repentance rather than away in despair. Today, practice Christlike character by naming one area where pride, fear, or guilt still drives your actions, and confess it openly before God (and to a trusted believer if needed). Do not offer Him worship that costs you nothing — surrender what is hardest to let go of, and trust His mercy to turn your sorrow into life.

Pray: “Lord God, You are holy and merciful. I confess that I often rely on myself, hiding behind pride or fear instead of humbly trusting You. Forgive me for my foolishness and cleanse me through the sacrifice of Christ. Give me the courage to bring even my darkest struggles to You in prayer, as the psalmist did, and the honesty to repent quickly like David. Teach me to offer my life as a true sacrifice, costly but pleasing to You. Thank You that through Christ, wrath is turned away and reconciliation is secured. Strengthen me today to walk in humility, truth, and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”