Psalm
1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
Outline
The Prayer of the Afflicted
The Definition of an Afflicted Person
Prayer of complaining is made to God, Psalm 102:1
Fear that God will not hear and respond quickly, Psalm 102:2
Realization of physical aging, Psalm 102:3
Inability to eat due to sorrow, Psalm 102:4
Bony appearance, Psalm 102:5
Feelings of loneliness, Psalm 102:6
State of the insomnia, Psalm 102:7
Increase in enemies, Psalm 102:8
Persistent depressive state, Psalm 102:9
Realization of God’s displeasure, Psalm 102:10
Sermon
The Prayer of the Afflicted
The Definition of an Afflicted Person
By Pastor Clinton Macomber
This is the first of three parts of this Psalm on affliction. One of the blessings of being a child of God is that we can find the diagnosis of our problems right in Scripture, and then find the cure as well. Often, people never need to need to know the diagnosis and find the help, but for some of us it helps to know how to define our condition to help others and to help ourselves understand it.
This part of the Psalm defines affliction. This is a condition that is very common among humanity today, to the point there are a lot of people afflicted and so out of touch with reality they do not know it, and others that think they are afflicted but are not. After examining this portion, the child of God can easily identify the afflicted and those malingering. They also can understand the events of their own lives to know how better to deal with them.
This Psalm defines affliction and offers the afflicted the “how to” in obedience to the great verse in the New Testament:
James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Prayer of complaining is made to God
Psalm 102:1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
Affliction can be generally defined in the original text as that state of a person who is poor and beset with a variety of suffering, oppressions, and cruelty. It is the times of life when a poor person is backed into seemingly impossible circumstances and without recourse or apparent help.
Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine [juice] maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Being economically poor in this world leaves a person vulnerable to a whole host of situations that are difficult and susceptible to real danger. At the very greatest of these dangers is the lack of help to ward off the many who seek to take an advantage of a person that is poor and needy.
In a world of sin, being economically and socially poor is an advantage to spiritual growth, because instead of being able to buy peoples help and protection, the afflicted has to turn to God alone for help.
The problem with riches is that they shield a person from trust in God, because money enables a person to fight back in a variety of ways to the threat of pain. So a person does not turn to God for help, but instead turns to what he can buy for help. This is a major fallacy that has now been played out in the insurance industry. It seem alluring to the gambler to pay a little month by month or annually, to get the chance of monetary reward when something harmful would happen. The fact is that the insurance company is nothing more than a casino hall, making wealth on hapless and foolish individuals that pay into the gamble. It will never work as a pension or health care system it was sold as being to lure the original saps.
Furthermore, being a socialist system, only the elite get the benefits of the promised winnings, because it is based on the odds of winning, and not on the actual cost or need of a person. So, in order to sustain the winnings, lobby for enforcement of the system on as many people as possible (like auto insurance), and provide ample shareholder returns, the system costs the victims far more than just paying for a problem when a problem happens.
The specific request is for the prayer to be heard by God. Is this a legitimate request? Does God hear all prayers? Does God always listen to prayer?
This request is repeated throughout the book: Psalms 27:7; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1; etc. As such, it is not a strange or unusual plea.
In considering this, there are several things that should be remembered:
1. This psalm is for those who have no other recourse, and who are so humbled by circumstances their only hope is in God and His mercy. These words cannot be spoken by anyone that has other modes of help within reach, and know it.
2. This psalm is one that reflects the prayer of our Lord and Savior on the Cross, making it a messianic psalm. There on the Cross our Savior cried out in agony over being forsaken by God the Father: Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46.
3. The cry of this psalm is seeking to put into words what is felt and feared, and not specifically a theological truth. Feelings are almost always contrary to fact, and are to be controlled to force them to become proper and fitting.
4. The psalmist knows that the circumstances are based on God’s wrath (Psalms 102:10). God’s wrath comes as a result of persistent sin and consistent rejection of the promptings and warnings from God. It comes as a last resort to accomplish God’s purpose in our lives.
5. Affliction brings out our faith, because it causes us to behave in a way that is righteous and unflinching. This comes from a life of fellowship with God, and learning that He is involved in our lives. This was exemplified in the life of Moses:
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
In answer, the conversation between God and Cain are quite revealing. The words are translated as follows:
Genesis 4:6-7 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
This was God’s admonition before Cain committed murder. Cain had brought an offering at the appointed time, but it was not in obedience to the instructions of God. It was an invention of Cain, and so was not acceptable to God. It resulted in Cain being filled with hot boiling anger. God’s Word was to bring conviction of sin, the desire to do what was right and an awareness of the judgment that would follow should Cain continue in his wicked thinking and actions.
God points out that when a person does what is acceptable and pleasing to Him, then that person gains honor and dignity. In other words, God blesses those that obey Him.
Then God states that when a person is not pleasing to Him, sin sets itself up at the person’s door, much like a dog. It is there to do the bidding of the person who has sinned. The sinner has the say as to what will happen to the sin.
The sin left at the door blocks fellowship with God, and the opportunity for God to bless. It also serves as a constant source of aggravation in that it never lets the occupant out, nor will it let others come inside. It stops everything cold until the master of the house has it removed by God. Until then, the person remains cut off.
Cain decided to reject the counsel of God and his brother. The sin at the door cut himself off from being able to have fellowship with anyone. The further actions of sin, piled up larger and bigger wild animal-like blocks at his door, turning him into a vagabond and stranger even to his own family.
So, in order to not cut off God’s help, we need to confess that sin that we have guarding our door, and have it crucified on the Cross, fully repenting from it. Then God can come in and join us for supper.
Fear that God will not hear and respond quickly
Psalm 102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
Troubles are not that bad when we know we have friends and those that can help us overcome them. It becomes the constant prayer that things will be right between us and God at all times so when the inevitable time of affliction strikes, we can know He is there, and controlling the event so that there is a purpose in the suffering.
Romans 8:27-30 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Because God chose us before the World was even started, and because He has a plan and purpose for our eternal existence, we can rest assured that He will accomplish a productive and profitable result from everything that happens to us.
Hebrews 12:11-13 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Chastening is never something that a child looks forward to, and even as an adult, it is never any fun. However, it is the result that it brings that makes it so valuable. By bring a little controlled pain into a child’s life in a way that will not harm the child, that child can become a well-disciplined and well-behaved individual that is completely responsible and alert to accomplishing the will of God.
In contrast, a child that is abused because it is not chastised by the parents is an unruly and vain child, and will do nothing but bring the parents to shame. The evidence of unparented children is everywhere today, and so is the serious crime that goes with it.
Sometimes, all a child of God needs to know is that it is God that is offering the whipping, so that he can rest assured that it is being done fairly and necessarily, and that no lasting damage will ensue.
Realization of physical aging
Psalm 102:3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
The third element of the afflicted is a realization of the aging process that is coming over the body. Days pass away very quickly and the bodily frame simply withers away as if caught in the flames of a fire.
This is not so bad unless a person is dependent on human strength to supply the needs of life on earth. When a person becomes weak, they cannot work as necessary. When the days go by quickly, they are unable to get the daily chores done to sustain healthy living.
This inability to get enough done each day adds to the burden of affliction, because there is already a time and energy deficit. Adding more challenges would break the normal person. However the child of God learns to do what God has for them each day and let the rest simply go.
Inability to eat due to sorrow
Psalm 102:4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
The fourth sign of an afflicted person is the forgetting to eat. Things are so tough, there just is not any energy left to bother with eating and all that goes with it. Furthermore, food just has no real appeal.
Bony appearance
Psalm 102:5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
The fifth sign of affliction is the bony appearance that comes, and the noises the bones make when you move. This comes from high levels of stress and not enough food. Often, a person may be compelled to eat, but unable to hold food long enough for the body to glean nutrition from it. Whatever the situation, it becomes very evident to others after a short while, because of the amount of weight loss.
Feelings of loneliness
Psalm 102:6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
The Pelican of Israel
Pelicans are lonely birds, but they have to live where there are waterways and lots of fish. When they find themselves in a dry desert, they are incapable of sustaining their own life for very long. Furthermore, they are at high risk of disease or becoming prey to the many deadly animals that survive in a desert.
The little owl of Israel
The owl spoken of here is the little owl. It is the same owl that stands for wisdom and education in Germany and American schools. This little fellow thrives in the agricultural district where there are lots of small things swarming about on which to feast. Putting it out in the desert keeps it from finding suitable shelter from the heat and elements, but also removes it from its supply of food. It is not long before the owl dies from either exposure, hunger, or as prey.
State of the insomnia
Psalm 102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
Affliction is further described as feeling as if one is like a poor isolated sparrow stuck on the roof of a house. There it does not have the companionship and warning of the flock of sparrows, nor does it have protection from the elements and many predators.
Syrian Sparrow
The sparrow is in full view of all of its enemies, and as such is simply counting seconds before its demise.
Increase in enemies
Psalm 102:8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
Affliction comes from sworn enemies. People can quickly become unreasonable in this life because they are rash. Once they have sworn to declare war on another, there is nothing that can resolve the problem but the death of one or the other. In some areas, God prescribes the death penalty to be carried out very soon after the crime and upon the testimony of at least two witnesses.
Our society seeks to resolve the issues of crime by hiding the criminal away from the general population. Huge amounts of money are spent to supposedly reform the prisoner, and to that end he is referred to by terms that seem to indicate he is not a criminal. Unfortunately, this only delays the inevitable results. That deadly spirit that was created through a sinful mind, is further hardened by being kept with other degenerates, and when this criminal is unleashed upon society again, it is just a matter of days before worse crimes are committed.
Things are so predictable that the police often do not need much more than to know a certain type of crime was committed. From that evidence alone, they pretty much know who did it.
Housing these criminals and spending huge amounts of money to prosecute, incarcerate, train, medicate, treat, and handle the myriads of appeals and other expenses is worthless.
A Christian is in a hard spot, because they live to obey the law and live at peace with all people. Once a person decides to declare war on a economically poor Christian, the battle will not end until someone is dead. Often, God is the only recourse for protection and help.
Persistent depressive state
Psalm 102:9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
Affliction causes a person to do things they would never do otherwise. Because there is no energy or desire for food, and the person is so weakened by the suffering, they will reach out into the ashes to find something to eat.
When the afflicted finally seeks some liquid nourishment, they just swallow mostly tears instead!
Elijah was in this state. He had remained hidden by God for the three years that he had said it would not rain in Israel. The famine was severe, but God provided for Elijah anyway.
Finally, in a courageous act, Elijah had all the prophets of Baal, who were specially appointed and protected by the Queen, killed. The nation decided to turn back to God. Then Elijah spent time interceding for the rain to return to Israel. Finally when it did come, his life was threatened by the Queen, the most wicked of all Queens.
He ran and ran, even outrunning his servant, and fell down exhausted. Had not God provided him food to eat and made him eat and drink and then sleep, Elijah would have died, without appointing a younger man to take over the work.
Often affliction requires outside interaction to stop the results that are sure to come.
Realization of God’s displeasure
Psalm 102:10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
Affliction is tough on the child of God when he knows that it is the consequences of sin. This knowledge makes the child of God timid in requesting release. It also makes the child of God aware that his cries may not be heard until the punishment has run its course.
The following is a few verses on the topic:
Deuteronomy 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
Job 16:12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Psalm 66:11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
Psalm 90:7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Ezekiel 24:16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
Ezekiel 24:18 So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
1 Corinthians 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;
2 Corinthians 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
1 Thessalonians 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
Affliction is something that comes upon us and takes advantage of the fact we have no where to do, but to endure it. But as it tests our faith to its very core, it moves to a place where we must get outside help to keep going.
God sends people at such a time, and only after we have learned to accomplish His will in our lives.
The story of the Good Samaritan is along these lines. When a Jewish fellow was robbed and beaten by highway robbers, and left to die, several when right on past him and did nothing to help. Everyone had some excuse for not bothering to save their fellow countryman.
Then a most hated among Jewish people stopped and not only helped the man, but brought him to those who could offer medical care. But if that was not enough, he even paid the full bill of treatment and room and board.
This is the story of how God helps us. In times of affliction we will find that the avenues of help we would expect to get aid from will do nothing, even though it is in their power and ability to do so. Instead help will come from the least expected, and in a time when all earthly prospects are gone.
Note: The drawings of the Pelecan, Owl and Sparrow are from: William Smith, Smith's Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997)
Topic Study
Affliction
By Pastor Clinton Macomber
The afflicted are not to be charged higher interest rates on loans.
Exodus 22:25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
The afflicted are to be allowed to utilize grapes left behind by the harvesters.
Leviticus 19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.
The afflicted are permitted to enter fields after harvest to use what is left behind.
Leviticus 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
God’s people are to be generous in helping the poor among them.
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Loan guarantees cannot be kept overnight from an afflicted person.
Deuteronomy 24:12 And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:
There is to be no exploitation of the afflicted when he is working.
Deuteronomy 24:14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
The afflicted are to be paid daily.
Deuteronomy 24:15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.
God does not forget the cries of the afflicted when adjudicating murder.
Psalm 9:12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
God will not let the hope of the afflicted perish for ever.
Psalm 9:18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
The afflicted are offered a prayer to use when going to God for help.
Psalm 102 title: A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.
God showers His favor on the afflicted.
Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
Happiness comes from having mercy on the afflicted.
Proverbs 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
The afflicted have a miserable time, but still can be merry.
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
The afflicted are better company than the proud.
Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
The afflicted are not to be made despondent in court.
Proverbs 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
The afflicted are fodder for some people.
Proverbs 30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
The virtuous wife will help the afflicted.
Proverbs 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Quote
Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Sermons, electronic ed., (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998). Vol. 49. No. 2860. “Owl or Eagle?”
In the 102nd Psalm, the believer likens himself to an owl, and in the 103rd Psalm, in almost the parallel verse, he is compared to an eagle. What a blessing it is that the saints of God, in the olden times, were moved by the Holy Spirit to write down their experiences, and what a mercy it is that they wrote them out so fully! They have not given us miniatures so much as full-length portraits. Especially was this the case with David; again and again, he draws himself to the very life. Possibly, if left to himself, he would have omitted from his autobiography some of his faults and failings, as well as the grosser sins of his life; but he was under the guidance of the Spirit of God and therefore he has shown us his true self, infirmities iniquities, and all that he was. It is related of Oliver Cromwell that, when his portrait was about to be painted by an eminent artist, the painter desired to conceal the wart upon the Protector’s face; but the true hero said, “Paint me just as I am, wart and all.” In a similar style, David, the champion and hero of Israel, in the portrait of himself, painted by himself, shows us his scars and warts, his blemishes and imperfections.
This, I say again, is a great mercy; because, if it were not for this fact, we might have supposed that these gracious men, of the olden time, were not subject to the same infirmities as ourselves, and we might have concluded that we were not the Lord’s people; “for, surely,” we should have said, “God’s true people never wandered as we wander, never failed as we fail, were never downcast as we are and were never on the borders of despair as we sometimes are.” But we turn to this blessed Book, and we find that the saints of God, described in it, were very much like the saints of the present time. The sea of life is rough to us, and it was rough to them; their vessels leaked then, and ours leak now; the winds sometimes blow a hurricane now, as they did then, and spiritual navigation was, in their day, very much what it is today. This must ever be a cause of consolation to us, and also a means of direction, for, seeing that they fought and struggled as we do, we can examine their methods, to discover how they gained their victories; and, having the same sort of enemies to deal with, and the same divine assistance at our disposal, we fly for help and strength where they fled, and use the same means which they used so well in overcoming their adversaries. If God had changed, that would have altered matters for us; but, since he is still the same, and deals with his children after the same rule of grace, we are both comforted and instructed as we read how he delivered his ancient people.
Devotions
Monday, Psalm 102:1-2 and Ezekiel 4:1-3
There are times in our life when we have to endure the results of our sin. God lets us decide what we will do with the life and abilities He gives to us. He calls to us and points to the way of blessing, but when we persistently reject Him and abuse His messengers, God finally allows us to suffer the consequences of our actions. In order for us to learn how vile we are and have been the punishment is brutal. Just as when a child getting spanked may howl, we howl too! After enough affliction, hopefully we will learn to follow God. Does there seem to be an iron wall hiding God's face? Instead of complaining, maybe effort needs to be put into making some drastic changes and to make sure of following God, and God alone.
Tuesday, Psalm 102:3 and Ezekiel 4:4-6
Affliction can at times be a tool to warn others. Ezekiel was paralyzed for almost a year and a half! Each day was to warn Judah and Israel of the length of time the land would lie desolate in years. How Ezekiel must have suffered! How discouraging it must have been to lie helpless, month after month. How worthless the ordeal must have seemed! But the message was important enough to warrant the comparatively brief interval of personal suffering compared to the glory and reward that Ezekiel enjoys now and will enjoy throughout eternity. How strong is our faith even when our bodies fail? Is it the stuff of eternity?
Wednesday, Psalm 102:4-5 and Ezekiel 4:7-8
Affliction comes upon us and takes incredible toll on our bodies. We hurt so much we cannot eat, and our body suffers even more from the lack of nutritional support. We become so weak we no longer care about things we previously felt were of the utmost importance. When we finally realize how worthless our ideals are and are then determined to walk with God, then the affliction is working to enable the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of righteousness through us.
Thursday, Psalm 102:6 and Ezekiel 4:9-11
A pelican eats fish, and if it is in the desert, it has no way to survive. An owl, this one being the little owl, lives off small rodents and creatures. When it is stuck in a desolate desert, it has no way to survive. Ezekiel was to collect dry grains, beans and water to sustain him for a year and a half paralysis. He was then to strictly ration these out to himself each day. He was only allowed to eat about a cup and a third of the combined grains and beans and about two thirds of a cup of water each day. It must be remembered, that this diet left out all the fruits and vegetables and meats during this whole time period. He also was not allowed to eat any sweets, dairy, spices, medicines, herbs, or anything palatable. How could Ezekiel survive this? Ezekiel must have felt like the pelican or owl of the Psalm! But God knows our needs and such times made actually prolong our health and life due to factors (like cancer) we may not know we have. It was found in England that the prisoners in dungeons had better health, living under the worst circumstances, and only getting meager rations of gruel, then anyone else in the country. So when times of lack come, can we trust God through it all?
Friday, Psalm 102:7-8 and Ezekiel 4:12-14
Affliction is no good unless it is complete an entire and able to fully get our attention. The psalmist talks about feeling as if he were a lone sparrow on a rooftop, constantly being assailed by many enemies, and having no place to hide. Not only does Ezekiel have the prospects of being paralyzed for a year and a half, he also gets to look forward to only being able to eat and drink from an extremely meager diet. This is further compounded when his instructions are to only use human excrement to cook with, to stand for having to eat the polluted foods of the Gentiles, when the Jewish nation would suffer under captivity. The lesson is that there are times in our life, when we should expect affliction to be thorough and complete and adverse to the way we would wish things to be. That is the actual definition of affliction. Until we endure times of affliction, and are transformed into the image of God, our souls are worthless chattel for a fire. Are we ready to grow?
Saturday, Psalm 102:9-10 and Ezekiel 4:15-17
These two passages again merge in message. God in his mercy allowed Ezekiel to substitute cow dung for human dung, a cooking fuel commonly used by the Arabs. The affliction of Ezekiel's life was to serve as a warning to the Jewish people of the intense suffering they were about to undergo at the hands of the Gentiles. The psalmist years earlier speaks as if he was undergoing a similar diet. He speaks of his water being supplemented by his tears, and his food polluted with ashes. The fact is, that even in times of dire straits, God's merciful hand of provision is still there, giving us just enough to survive, and move towards the goal He has in mind for us.
Puzzle
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| I | E | B | N | T | P | H | E | E | H | A | D | D | P | D | H |
| N | Y | I | T | D | C | T | D | W | G | E | E | E | A | B | A |
| G | A | W | I | T | H | E | R | E | D | L | E | S | O | W | D |
| D | R | D | A | B | R | E | A | D | G | D | H | N | I | R | V |
| P | P | W | R | G | V | N | I | N | I | E | E | W | I | S | E |
| L | I | K | E | O | E | T | I | L | S | S | O | N | W | W | B |
| K | T | S | K | I | N | M | Y | S | M | O | K | E | W | D | I |
| ALONE | GROANING | PRAYER |
| ASHES | HEARTH | REASON |
| BONES | HIDE | SKIN |
| BREAD | INCLINE | SMITTEN |
| BURNED | INDIGNATION | SMOKE |
| CLEAVE | LIKE | SPARROW |
| COMPLAINT | MINGLED | SPEEDILY |
| DESERT | OVERWHELMED | WATCH |
| DRINK | PELICAN | WEEPING |
| EATEN | POURETH | WITHERED |
The Puzzle solution is found here....
