“Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down” (Ps 102:10, KJV). We have our ups and downs—but the last one’s UP!
The heading provided for Psalm 102 by the Bible editors seems to contradict the inspired title. One reads, “The Lord’s Eternal Love.” The other says, “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” That isn’t a mere curiosity. For many people it is THE problem. People who like big words use the term theodicy (from the Greek theos, “God” and dikē, “justice”), which is an argument attempting to reconcile a God of wisdom, power, and love with suffering and evil in the world. The first fact to be noted is that, in spite of the poet’s personal agony, we are reading a prayer, one also mingled with praise. Remember the farmer whose weathervane read “God is love.” “Is His love changeable like the weather?” someone asked. “No, God is love—whichever way the wind blows,” he replied. As we look at the prayer, we see that the psalmist first gives the Upper Look (vv 1-2), seeking the Lord’s attention and help. Then we have the Inner Look (vv 3-11) where he describes the turmoil in his soul. The words “I,” “my,” “me,” and “mine” are prominent. You know he’s appalled with his own transience when he begins by describing himself as “withered like grass” (v 4) and ends it the same way (v 11). He’s also overwhelmed by the loneliness of his life, likening himself to three birds. The pelican in a desert is alone because he is away from his habitat. The owl is alone because his nature demands it. And when the sparrow is alone, it’s entirely out of character (vv 6-7). He’s also grieved at the opposition he faces. With tears for water and ashes for bread, he feels attacked by both earth and heaven (vv 8-10). But just then, and not a moment too soon, the sun breaks through!