One hot summer day in 1967, a 17-year-old girl named Joni staved off the summer heat by dipping in the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, the water Joni jumped into was more shallow than she thought. In an instant, she went from athletic to paraplegic, completely paralyzed from the shoulders down. She grew angry—at herself, at God, at everyone. That anger turned to depression and contemplation of suicide.
Thankfully though, even in her anger, Joni trusted God. She asked Him to turn her heartache into hope, and He did. Joni made her mark in many areas. Using her mouth instead of her hands, she authored 40 books and painted many works of art. She acted in a feature film, and through her foundation, has helped tens of thousands of quadriplegics find God’s love amidst trial.
Along our life-paths, we all experience both valleys and mountaintops. Though our valleys might differ from Joni’s, the heartache they induce can feel similar. In Psalm 88, we find a man who knew this heartache well.
I encourage you to read this chapter on your own with two key facts in mind. First, it is a maskil, meaning it was written to provide wisdom. Second, though sad, this psalm was not written by a pitiful person. Heman—the grandson of the prophet Samuel—wrote it. Heman was one of three chief Levites King David appointed to oversee the temple’s music and was called “the king’s seer in the matters of God.” He was a God-loving, talented, respected man who just so happened to be in the midst of a valley.
This proves that hard times come to us all. The question is—how will we handle them? Will we let the darkness around us become darkness within us? Or will we trust God, even when we’re hurting? In Psalm 88, Heman shows us how to go from heartache to hope, valley to mountaintop, every time.
The first step is admission. In verses 1-5, Heman admits two things—that he needs saved, and that God can save Him. To get from heartache to hope, we also must admit to God how we feel. Then, we must admit that His promises are true regardless of our circumstance.
The second step in going from heartache to hope is access. In verses 9-14, Heman talks about the gift of prayer. It’s our lifeline, and it’s to be our continual safe place in times of trouble. The last step is ascending. When we treasure admission and access, our lives ascend to greater heights than we ever thought were possible.
In John 1:5, John reminds us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” No matter how heavy the darkness around us, with Jesus on our side, it cannot overcome us.
Friend, whether you’re in a valley or mountaintop season, I urge you to put your trust in Jesus. He alone can turn your deepest heartache into your greatest hope!
