Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You. (Psalm 88:9)
In its entirety, Psalm 88 is a cry of desperation from one who feels completely isolated from friends, family, acquaintances, and most importantly, God. It is noteworthy to point out that this psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah, a family whose ancestor was literally separated from God in the most dramatic of ways. So when they say, “I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength,” there is some literal association with the notion.
That being said, the psalmist seems to be speaking as one who, in this life, laments feeling spiritual isolation. He feels as if he is a walking dead man, unnoticed and unloved, which then prompts the sentiment, “I am like a man who has no strength, adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave” (Psalm 88:4-5). This sense of complete helplessness provokes the statement above — “I have stretched out my hands to You.” In other words, just as one throws up his hands in an act of surrender to an overwhelming force or authority, the composer of this psalm expresses capitulation to his circumstances, and I would argue, complete submission to the will and mercy of God.
There are situations in the Bible where we see God allows someone to be completely cut off from everyone, at least for a season, in order to make a point. Sometimes the lesson is for the person being isolated from everyone, and sometimes the lesson is for those who are deprived of the benefit the one isolated could provide. In regard to the latter, sometimes that one is the Creator. If it seems He distances Himself from us, it is likely because there are things in our life that need attention and anyone who has experienced intimacy with God loathes the thought that He would put distance between us and Him. It would feel, as the psalmist said, like one who lies in the grave, “whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand” (Psalm 88:5).
But the sons of Korah remind us that there is hope; when we come to the end of ourself and realize that our way is not the way that brings contentment and peace, we can throw up our hands in surrender to His will. We can stretch out our hands to the Almighty as a helpless child who extends their hands toward a loving parent. As long as we have breath, we can call upon the name of the Lord for forgiveness and restoration, and when we do in sincerity, He will answer.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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