“A Prayer of the afflicted, a when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.” – Title of Psalm 102.

That is quite a perplexing title for a psalm whose heading is; “The LORD’s Eternal Love.”

What that may show is that despite the unmistakability of God’s eternal love, affliction is also part and parcel of human existence.

Because we live in world that is cursed by sin, suffering and pain are realities that we all face.

While some endure greater depths of suffering than others, none of us is exempt.

Philippians 1:29 says; “For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in Him, but also by suffering for Him.”

As Pastor Matthew Breeden eloquently put it, one of the great gifts of God to His people is that the Scriptures don’t ignore the reality of suffering.

In fact, the pain and difficulties of life are a central theme throughout the Bible.

And thankfully the Bible doesn’t only acknowledge the presence of suffering, it also provides hope for those who suffer.

While the title above provides some helpful context, it falls short in describing the psalm as a whole.

Whereas the psalmist is indeed afflicted and faint, and while he does pour out his heart to God, we also see that he is full of confidence in God and in His promises to His people.

As the psalm begins it is evident that the psalmist is in dire need.

The repetitive nature of verses 1 and 2 make it clear that the psalmist understands his need for God and that he is utterly dependent on Him alone for help.

“For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for Him.”

The entirety of Psalm 102 is a prayer and it serves as a good example of what it looks like to cry out to God in our time of need.

It can be seen throughout the psalm, but especially in verses 1 and 2, that the psalmist knows that God’s intervention and God’s salvation are his only hope.

This is no passive or half-hearted petition, no mere formal ‘saying of prayers.’ Quite the contrary.

It is an impassioned prayer because the situation out of which it grows is desperate.

Desperate conditions make for strong petitions!

While the psalmist never fully identifies the nature of his suffering, it is evident is that he is in a dire and desperate situation.

He uses vivid language to describe his weakness and his feelings of frailty.

He expresses that his life seems short and fleeting and that outside of God’s intervention he will soon pass away.

The imagery that the psalmist uses suggests that he is suffering physically, but it’s also obvious that he is burdened spiritually and emotionally.

In this first section of the psalm, we are reminded of the reality and intensity of suffering and we are also given an example of what it looks like to cry out to God during a time of intense pain.

But in the second part of the psalm, we are reminded not to keep all our focus on the suffering because right at the end of the tunnel there is second and more important part – “the LORD’s Eternal Love.”