A Desperate Cry: Psalm 119:169-176

A Desperate Cry

Psalm 119:169-176

The eucatastrophe in a story is a good catastrophe; it is the surprise twist or turn you never see coming or least expect.
Samuel P. Schuldheisz (quoted by Chad Bird)

We have reached the final stanza of Psalm 119. Twenty-two stanzas with eight verses in each stanza. The longest chapter in the Bible. The psalmist has sung for a long time, crying for deliverance and setting his hope in God and His Word. It almost feels symbolic of the desperate cries of the suffering, how trials and tribulations not only feel long, but indeed they can last for a very long time, perhaps even a lifetime. It’s the picture of continued steadfastness in the face of adversity. Persevering prayer demonstrated for us. No answer yet? No idea yet what God is doing? No dawn breaking on the horizon? No miraculous answer? Don’t stop praying. Maybe the Lord is building into our lives a psalm-119 kind of perseverance. What are we desperate for this morning? While recognizing the Lord will do His will and we want that, today I want to pray boldly for God to answer our desperate cries in a mighty way.

Recently, I was reading Chad Bird’s book Limping with God. In it, he talked about J.R.R. Tolkien’s use of the word “eucatastrophe.” He says Tolkien defines a eucatastrophe as “the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears.” What eucatastrophe are you longing for? What “sudden happy turn” in your story would pierce you through with a joy that brings tears? What delightful twist or turn to your story would you least expect? In order for there to truly be a eucatastrophe, there must be some desperate situation, dark valley, or long awaited hope that has been deferred. If there’s something desperate going on in your life, I bet you won’t have to think very hard or long about what you desire to see God do on your behalf. Does it feel impossible for you? Maybe that’s the place we needed to get to in order for the Lord to show us that He is the miracle-worker, not us in our wisdom or efforts. What humanly impossible thing are we going to ask God to do (Whitney)? 

God has a long record of deliverances, and these stories of deliverance in Scripture are for our encouragement. Do you need your heart filled with courage to come to His throne and ask boldly for His mighty hand to bring about a great change on your behalf? Go to His Word and read about Hannah, Moses, Asa, Elijah, Daniel, or so many others. Look at their circumstances and their desperate cries and see how God did for them what could not have been done any other way except through His power. In Mark 1, Jesus is going through Galilee preaching. And a leper hears about Him. No doubt this man is suffering and desperate. He is an outcast, separated from family and friends. Cut off from the people of God. Alone and facing a death sentence. But he came to Jesus “beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed” (Mark 1:40-42 NASBS). This is what we want. Coming to the Lord and beseeching Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can ________.” And then asking Him to look on our situation with compassion and effect a eucatastrophe on our behalf. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16 NASB).

Let’s pray through this section of Psalm 119, beseeching the Lord and believing that He will bring about a great change in the hard places in our lives.

119:169-170 Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. 
Father, I pray:
▫️You hear my desperate cry. You are aware of the length of time and depth of anguish that I have prayed and sought Your work in ________. You see the effects this long term suffering has had on me. You have been building perseverance into my life. Lord, I ask You now to bring about a powerful answer to my cries.
▫️I ask for understanding. What do You want me to learn? How do You want me to grow? What are You producing in me? What are You pruning from my life? What is Your will for me in this moment?
▫️Let my plea come before You—my plea for strength to continue, mercy, grace for today’s trouble, rest and peace in You, deliverance and Your miracle-working power in _________.

119:171-172 My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. 
Father, I pray:
▫️I long for my lips to pour forth praise telling others of what You have done for me in my desperate situation. I long for a new song to sing based on the amazing turn in my circumstances that You brought about.
▫️I will continue to sing for joy in You. You have been my help thus far and I know You will sustain me and help me endure. 

119:173-174 Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. 
Heavenly Father, I pray:
▫️Let Your hand be ready to help me. I am ready for Your intervening power. Be moved with compassion and stretch out Your hand to me as You did to the leper. Oh, Lord, be willing to _________. 
▫️I long for Your salvation in/for ________. I want to see Your will be done, and I want You to get the glory in my life and in this situation. You know best. You never make mistakes. You do all things well. I believe nothing is impossible for You.

119:175-176 Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Heavenly Father, I pray:
▫️Let my soul live. I want to live in joy, freedom, hope, confidence, and peace. I want to live filled up with You and satisfied in You. Bring Your life to my situation. You can bring life out of death. Only You can do that, and I’m asking You to do that in ________. 
▫️So many times I have gone astray during this journey through the valley. Yet, You have kept me. You have sought me, led me, guided me, protected me. I’m asking for You to deliver me and to lead me to green pastures and quiet waters, rest for my soul from the battle raging around me. I’m asking for a eucatastrophe. Your will be done in me and this situation.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

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Photo credit to aaronburden

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