16In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
15How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
Psalm 88 is a great message that is often misconstrued. Being a Christian does not mean an easy life – it often means opening yourself to a harder life. But, even though godly people sometimes live lives of seemingly unending trouble or hardship, they can still grasp the hope that God is savior.
It is easy for me to relate to the bitter tone in Psalm 88 as a gay Christian. Especially when it says “I am counted among those who go down to the pit”
I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I am so sorry you feel this way. I don’t know how homosexuality and Christianity is supposed to work, but God loves you and I love you too. I’m so sorry you have been cast away from the love of Christ through Christians that you are supposed to be receiving.
I don’t believe that God will send you to the pit!! Certainly not for being gay! It’s the way you were made. Please please don’t despair. Glennon Doyle Melton at Momastry expresses mine and other Christians’ thoughts on this a lot more eloquently than I ever could! I pray you see this comment and read some of her writings on her blog. Love ❤️
I want to thank you for suggesting Glennon’s work. I just read her letter to Chase and as a gay Christian I am truly touched by her love for her son and her celebration of differences. If anyone else would like to read the letter, it is located at http://momastery.com/blog/2010/10/14/a-mountain-im-willing-to-die-on/
There are so many beautiful testimonies of Christians who struggled with homosexuality overcoming it! Often times it stems from childhood abuse, or generational sin, so it can seem like you’re born with it because it’s been around as long as you can remember. But God loves you, and you’re more than your sexual preference. Christians shouldn’t treat homosexuality any differently than they would treat somebody in the church who was obese and struggling with gluttony. It’s more so about your heart in the matter. I.e. Do you want to be gay? Are you willing to lay your sexuality on the alter? Are you aware that it doesn’t dictate who you are, that it’s just an aspect? God offers wholeness, healing, and love abundant! He also has set standards though, and guidelines established to keep us on the right track. Just seek Him in all that you do, and He will make your way clear. You’re never out of the reach of His hand, no matter how far we all wonder!!
love you, girl!
If you are a believer in Christ you are called to repent of sin, that is part of sanctification. As a person you are loved by God and should also be loved by his people, but he does not love your sin and neither should you.
‘ Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you?’ Psalm 88:10 Why yes, You do work wonders for the dead, and in Christ the departed do rise up to praise You! Love this foreshadowing. The cynical questioning of the psalmist proves true in a Savior who rose from the dead so that we could also rise in Him!
What a reminder of how far his descendants have fallen away from God! Eye opening to read of David’s devotion after reading how his great…great grandsons are leading the people into the very things God (and thus David) hates.
But how faithful is God! He does not abandon His end of the covenant even when we rebel! Thankful that He preserves a remnant and makes a way for salvation because of His steadfast love and mercy!
Keep in mind that this is the Old Testament, before Jesus died for our sins. But let that make you over look what it’s saying. God, just like his holy love that everyone so enjoys to talk of, has holy wrath. He is in every way above us and deserves more respect than we are physically able. But that’s the beauty of Jesus. He took ALL OF GODS HOLY WRATH and took that from us. God sent part of himself, in his perfect love, to give us eternity. Never forgot all the respect God deserves and that we are so incredible guilty of sin but we are forgive and given a chance for his steadfast love.
I don’t think it’s that we’re being punished per se. It’s that sometimes God allows things to happen to us so we can grow and draw nearer to him, and sometimes those things don’t feel good (like a punishment doesn’t feel good), but it’s all being used for our good. We have to remember that God already has it all figured out, and that means sometimes things don’t go according to our plan and that can hurt.
I didn’t quite understand what God was saying either but I think he saying that he made a promise to always love us and be here for us but sometime we do things to upset him and he gets bothered but at the end of the day he will always be here for us just like he promised
I think it’s kinda like a dad. When I was a kid if I disobeyed … My dad still loved me. A lot. And he still forgave me if I repented. But sometimes I still got spanked. Or grounded. Or lost privileges. You know?
I agree with Antimony’s comment of God’s discipline for sin in our lives being compared to how a father parents a child, but I would also like to add something. Not everything bad that happens to us is God directly punishing us for something we have done wrong. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, we experience the consequences of man as a whole. Things like illnesses, death, and pain are all consequences of sin, and until we are called to Heaven we are surrounded by the hurts of this world.
We must also remember that this was under the law. But under grace, Christ came to take the punishment for our sins. And while we will sometimes face the consequences of the actions we have set in motion or go through things for a greater glory (like Paul), God is not punishing us.
89:31-33 “If they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
or be false to my faithfulness”. Wow. This kinda hits me right where I am. He says He will not tolerate sin. He will punish sin. And He will cause sorrow. But it will not change His love … or cancel His promise of faithfulness.
11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
❤️
❤️
❤️
16In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
15How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
❤️
✅
✝️
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 88 is a great message that is often misconstrued. Being a Christian does not mean an easy life – it often means opening yourself to a harder life. But, even though godly people sometimes live lives of seemingly unending trouble or hardship, they can still grasp the hope that God is savior.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.-ellie
❤️
Your word is amazing! I cannot believe how selfish I have been. ❤️
Even in the trials and the hardships, God loves us. He has always loved us and he will never take that away.
It is easy for me to relate to the bitter tone in Psalm 88 as a gay Christian. Especially when it says “I am counted among those who go down to the pit”
I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I am so sorry you feel this way. I don’t know how homosexuality and Christianity is supposed to work, but God loves you and I love you too. I’m so sorry you have been cast away from the love of Christ through Christians that you are supposed to be receiving.
Don’t despair.
I don’t believe that God will send you to the pit!! Certainly not for being gay! It’s the way you were made. Please please don’t despair. Glennon Doyle Melton at Momastry expresses mine and other Christians’ thoughts on this a lot more eloquently than I ever could! I pray you see this comment and read some of her writings on her blog. Love ❤️
But what does his Word say???
I want to thank you for suggesting Glennon’s work. I just read her letter to Chase and as a gay Christian I am truly touched by her love for her son and her celebration of differences. If anyone else would like to read the letter, it is located at http://momastery.com/blog/2010/10/14/a-mountain-im-willing-to-die-on/
There are so many beautiful testimonies of Christians who struggled with homosexuality overcoming it! Often times it stems from childhood abuse, or generational sin, so it can seem like you’re born with it because it’s been around as long as you can remember. But God loves you, and you’re more than your sexual preference. Christians shouldn’t treat homosexuality any differently than they would treat somebody in the church who was obese and struggling with gluttony. It’s more so about your heart in the matter. I.e. Do you want to be gay? Are you willing to lay your sexuality on the alter? Are you aware that it doesn’t dictate who you are, that it’s just an aspect? God offers wholeness, healing, and love abundant! He also has set standards though, and guidelines established to keep us on the right track. Just seek Him in all that you do, and He will make your way clear. You’re never out of the reach of His hand, no matter how far we all wonder!!
love you, girl!
This is an awesome response. Thank you for sharing truth so gracefully and humbly!!!
If you are a believer in Christ you are called to repent of sin, that is part of sanctification. As a person you are loved by God and should also be loved by his people, but he does not love your sin and neither should you.
‘ Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you?’ Psalm 88:10 Why yes, You do work wonders for the dead, and in Christ the departed do rise up to praise You! Love this foreshadowing. The cynical questioning of the psalmist proves true in a Savior who rose from the dead so that we could also rise in Him!
What a reminder of how far his descendants have fallen away from God! Eye opening to read of David’s devotion after reading how his great…great grandsons are leading the people into the very things God (and thus David) hates.
But how faithful is God! He does not abandon His end of the covenant even when we rebel! Thankful that He preserves a remnant and makes a way for salvation because of His steadfast love and mercy!
Keep in mind that this is the Old Testament, before Jesus died for our sins. But let that make you over look what it’s saying. God, just like his holy love that everyone so enjoys to talk of, has holy wrath. He is in every way above us and deserves more respect than we are physically able. But that’s the beauty of Jesus. He took ALL OF GODS HOLY WRATH and took that from us. God sent part of himself, in his perfect love, to give us eternity. Never forgot all the respect God deserves and that we are so incredible guilty of sin but we are forgive and given a chance for his steadfast love.
I don’t think it’s that we’re being punished per se. It’s that sometimes God allows things to happen to us so we can grow and draw nearer to him, and sometimes those things don’t feel good (like a punishment doesn’t feel good), but it’s all being used for our good. We have to remember that God already has it all figured out, and that means sometimes things don’t go according to our plan and that can hurt.
I didn’t quite understand what God was saying either but I think he saying that he made a promise to always love us and be here for us but sometime we do things to upset him and he gets bothered but at the end of the day he will always be here for us just like he promised
^ I don’t get this… Does God still punish us with sorrow and iniquities?? So when bad things happen he is punishing us?
I don’t quite understand this either but I know if we open our hearts to God he will show us what he means
I think it’s kinda like a dad. When I was a kid if I disobeyed … My dad still loved me. A lot. And he still forgave me if I repented. But sometimes I still got spanked. Or grounded. Or lost privileges. You know?
I agree with Antimony’s comment of God’s discipline for sin in our lives being compared to how a father parents a child, but I would also like to add something. Not everything bad that happens to us is God directly punishing us for something we have done wrong. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, we experience the consequences of man as a whole. Things like illnesses, death, and pain are all consequences of sin, and until we are called to Heaven we are surrounded by the hurts of this world.
We must also remember that this was under the law. But under grace, Christ came to take the punishment for our sins. And while we will sometimes face the consequences of the actions we have set in motion or go through things for a greater glory (like Paul), God is not punishing us.
89:31-33 “If they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
or be false to my faithfulness”. Wow. This kinda hits me right where I am. He says He will not tolerate sin. He will punish sin. And He will cause sorrow. But it will not change His love … or cancel His promise of faithfulness.
Psalms 89 1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
Psalms 89:52 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen. What more can possibly be said.