We know from experience that when we are in trouble, we are affected, not only in our spirit and emotion, but bodily too. The Bible, the A-Z of life which the Lord our God has given us, His very Word, confirms this for us.

Let us look at Psalm 102. It is the seventeenth Messianic Psalm and as written, is a Prayer for the afflicted, for those who are overwhelmed. In Psalm 102, the author passionately pours out his complaint before the Lord as one who is in severe trouble, such that all parts of him are being affected:

“¹A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before Jehovah. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and let my cry come to You.
²Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble; bow down Your ear to me; in the day I call, answer me quickly. ³For my days go up like smoke, and my bones glow like a firebrand.
⁴My heart is stricken, and dried like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. ⁵Because of the voice of my groaning, my bones hold fast to my skin.⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.
⁷I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the house top.
⁸My enemies curse me all the day; and they who are mad against me are sworn against me.
⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping, ¹⁰because of Your anger and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and cast me down.
¹¹My days are like a shadow stretched out; and I wither like grass.
¹²But You, O Jehovah, shall endure forever; and Your memory to all generations.
¹³You shall arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to pity her, yea, the set time, has come. ¹⁴For Your servants take pleasure in its stones, and pity its dust. ¹⁵So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.¹⁶When Jehovah shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory.
¹⁷He will turn to the prayer of the forsaken and not despise their prayer.
¹⁸This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people who shall be created shall praise Jehovah.
¹⁹For He has looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from Heaven Jehovah beheld the earth; ²⁰to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free the sons of death; ²¹to declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem; ²²when the peoples and the kingdoms have gathered together to serve Jehovah.²³He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.²⁴I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days; Your years are through the generation of generations. ²⁵Of old You have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
²⁶They shall perish, but You shall endure; yea, all of them shall become old like a garment; like a robe You shall change them, and they shall be changed; ²⁷but You are He, and Your years shall have no end.
²⁸The sons of Your servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before You.”

Without doubt, the writer of Psalm 102 is troubled. In his trouble, 10 human body parts are listed as he suffer under the affliction, under the troubles he faces. We face the same when we are in trouble:

1 The Voice: – I cannot even talk.

v1 “…..let my cry come to You.”
v5 “Because of the voice of my groaning …….”

2 The Emotions and Feelings: – I am frightened and need to talk.

v1-2 “Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and let my cry come to You. Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in.”
v5 “Because of the voice of my groaning, my bones hold fast to my skin.”
v9 “For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping.”

3 The Bones: – My bones ache, I cannot even sit or lie down.

v3 “For my days go up like smoke, and my bones glow like a firebrand.”

4 The Heart: – My heart beats hard and I am stressed.

v4 “My heart is stricken, and dried like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.”

5 The Appetite: – I am so hungry but forget to eat, then eat that which is not good.

v4 “My heart is stricken, and dried like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.”
v9 “For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping.”

6 The Memory: – I cannot remember things.

v4 “My heart is stricken, and dried like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.”

7 The Skin: – I am but skin and bone.

v5 “Because of the voice of my groaning, my bones hold fast to my skin.”

8 The Eyes: – I watch in fear, through teary eyes.

v7 “I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the house top.”
v9 “For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping.”

9 The Tear Ducts: – I cry all the time.

v9 “For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping.”

10 One’s Strength: – I have no strength left.

v23 “He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.”

The author also contrasts the days of man with the days of God, showing his understanding of how fleeting our time is on earth. Contrast is typical in the Hebrew tradition for teaching, to being out clearly, both sides of the issue.

Man	God
v3 For my days go up like smoke…	v12 But You, O Jehovah, shall endure forever;
v11 My days are like a shadow stretched out; and I wither like grass.	v12 … Your memory to all generations.
v23 He shortened my days….	v27 … Your years shall have no end.
v24 ….O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days; Your years are through the generation of generations.

There is more, much more to uncover in Psalm 102, but let us now just dwell on that which we are taught about our own natures, from a God who cares so much for us, He gave His only begotten son as a ransom for us, that we may have eternal life.
Amen and Amen.