Is God's Promise in the Darkness?

Psalms 88:1, 6, 13, 18 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you…6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths…13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you…18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.
 
THIS has been called the saddest psalm of all. In some respects it is as the book of Job, focusing on a man in despair. The author is Heman, a son of Korah, who was a musician in David’s court. Apparently he had a very difficult life. Nearly every psalm, regardless of the topic, praises and thanks God for some aspect of his character. There is no evident praise, no thanksgiving to God here – only the mournful cry of a man whose soul seems to live in darkness.
   The four verses represent four ways Heman approaches God. He first proclaims his faith in the LORD (Jehovah), the God who saves me. His faith causes him to day and night cry out to God. Four times in the psalm he speaks to the LORD, the God of the covenant – the God of promises. He unceasingly seeks God to fulfill his promises.
   Then he tells God how he feels. V 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depth. Is he blaming God for his darkness? More likely he is expressing the depths of his emotions. God does not want you to come to him to say, “All is good, LORD.” when it’s not. If you trust him as the God of your life, creator of the universe, you can trust him to hear your cries, even from the darkest depths.
   Within this question is the mystery of God’s will in all circumstances. How often we wonder, “Why, God?” when we can’t see the end result of suffering? 
   Heman then defends himself. V 13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD, in the morning my prayer comes before you. Heman wants God’s help. He is persistent and faithful to pursue God. Shouldn’t God reward such faith?
   Then Heman closes the prayer with what seems to be the deep despair of a lonely man. V 18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend. Fifty years ago, the pop music due Simon & Garfunkel wrote the song Sounds of Silence. Its opening lyrics are “Hello, darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.” Then the song goes on to lament a life of isolation and loneliness, even as one is surrounded by the people, sights and sound of a large city.  Had they read Heman’s plea?
   The songwriters left no option for release from the darkness. Heman’s psalm seems to leave us in the dark, too. But even as Heman laments the darkness is my closest friend, we can understand that his closest friend is really the LORD – Jehovah – Redeemer, Savior, Comforter, Promise Keeper, Light and Life. His plea is not a resignation to an unchangeable situation. His plea is for the LORD to reveal himself in the same ways we read of Job, David – and even Jesus in Gethsemane – pleading with God for release from the darkness of the moment.
   In our despair it would be good to look for songs of faith to direct us out of the darkness. Here’s one: “You are Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness, My God, that is who you are.” (“Waymaker” by Nigerian gospel singer Sinach)        
   God is Light. Stay faithful to him. He will bring you out of darkness’ void into his sure salvation. 1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.