Psalm 102:17

Psalm 102:17

The prayer of the destitute

For those Israelites who had been transported to the alien, pagan realm of Babylon, the familiar buildings and sights and sounds of Zion must have seemed a million miles away. While the Babylonians sacrificed to their gods and their empire prospered, the Jewish captives lived with their memories of a different time and place. They remembered their Temple, their God, their customs and their identity and they yearned to go back home. Even the recollection of the stones and dust of Jerusalem made them feel homesick! (v14) What made matters worse was that the captives knew that their homeland had been ravaged by their conquerors, the walls of Jerusalem lay in tatters and the Temple had been ransacked and was now a desolate, empty shell of a building.

But all is not lost. The writer knows about the heart cries of his people and he is convinced that the Lord will “respond to the prayer of the destitute.” That’s the thing with God, it’s never too late with Him, the problems are never beyond resolution, the crisis can be overcome, the apparent tragedy is not without a solution, with God all things are possible. That is the basis of the prayer of the destitute; when all else fails and everything seems beyond reversal, there is still hope if the Lord God is in command! He does not despise us when we get down on our knees and plead. He hears our cries, He sees our tears and He knows our hearts, and because He loves us, we can still have hope. Hallelujah!

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