Growing in Faith in the PsalmsНамуна

Psalm 88: Darkness Is My Closest Friend

(A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.)

“…darkness is my closest friend.”

Psalm 88:18b

This Psalm is the saddest of all 150 Psalms. Most bible scholars believe, as the title indicates, that this Psalm is the story of a man named Heman the Ezrahite. Heman and the Sons of Korah were temple musicians during King David’s reign. Heman may have sat with them to tell his story as they recorded it as a tribute to his faith and an encouragement to others. More importantly, Heman was a servant of God who was suffering intensely and did not understand why, yet he persisted in praying to God and did not abandon his faith. He entered what many would call the “dark night of the soul.” Weakened and confused, he turned to God every day in his suffering (see verse nine). His faith is beyond impressive.

When Heman shared his story, he could not have known that his very words would become a part of the sacred Word of God. He could not have known that his faith-filled suffering would become a divine example for the ages. He could not have known his testimony would encourage countless generations to hold on to their faith and enter heaven in victory. He died without knowing that he purchased with his faith-filled suffering a holy and sacred acknowledgment from the Spirit of God, who deemed his testimony worthy to be included in the Scriptures.

His journey of suffering and refusal to abandon his faith in God is a message to all. I am convinced that when we enter the dark night of our souls, God's purposes are nearer than we know and have far more purpose than we can imagine. While our story of suffering and faith is not included in the Bible, it is included as a divine message to those observing our journey.

I think of the suffering of my third brother. He was born with a terminal illness and died at the age of twenty-one. There was never a day he was healthy. As I read Psalm 88, I thought of him. I can hear him saying some of the same things and asking the same questions as the Psalmist.

While I do not understand the complete picture of the purposes of God for my brother, I can say my brother’s suffering caused my parents to seek a pastor who would pray for him when he was an infant. That pastor came to the hospital, where the doctors informed my parents that their son would not survive the night. That pastor prayed, and my brother survived the night. That pastor and God’s response to his prayer profoundly affected my parents. They would eventually devote the rest of their lives to the Lord. Consequently, my other brothers and I were raised in a highly active and devoted Christian home. The daily suffering of my terminally ill brother drove my parents to look to God for his healing. While on this planet, the Lord never granted my brother complete freedom from the horrendous disease that wracked his body. Nonetheless, that day did come as my brother left his sickened body and entered heaven free from disease. My brother had no idea how the Lord would use his suffering to change his parents' and siblings' eternal trajectory. My entire family came to faith because the Lord responded to those prayers in the hospital.

Even when darkness is our closest friend and our suffering does not make sense, the Lord is still sovereign. If He allows the suffering, He has a greater purpose for doing so than we can imagine. If He does not provide an understanding of the questions we ask of Him, we must leave the questions in His presence. I have my brother’s Bible. He has made notes throughout its pages. There is no note around Psalm 88. There is a note in his handwriting on a card close by that says, “One negative attitude can destroy your whole day.” His faith kept him afloat until the day the Lord decided his suffering had completed the purpose of God while on this planet.

The earthly story of the man of Psalm 88 is sad. My brother’s earthly story is sad. Countless millions of others have lived and died in their faith, not knowing the purpose of God in their suffering. But the earthly story is only a portion of the whole story. Heman the Ezrahite has lived in heaven far, far longer than he was present on the Earth. So has my brother. The heavenly story is the best and eternal part of the story! It is majestic and powerful, and we must not forget that reality. It is the story of the ages. Those who have died in their suffering faith died having purchased eternal purposes that reached far past their earthly days. At the end of Hebrews 11, we read about similar saints who lived and died in their faith. Therefore, let us endure our sufferings in faith, knowing that our God is sovereign and accomplishes all within His will. Let us seek God for relief while we hold onto our faith. Let us say, as the Psalmist did, (Psalm 88:9 NIV)“…my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.” Let us do our best to survive well and in faith to an Eternal God who loves to redeem the faith of those who love Him.