Psalms 88:11

Psalms 88:11 says, Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?  Heman asked if the dead could declare God's lovingkindness or His faithfulness from destruction.  Even though our spirit will live on, our bodies cease to be able to declare anything, good or bad, once we die.  We must therefore declare God's goodness and mercy while we are alive.  If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our soul will still praise God after the body dies.  Verse twelve adds, Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?  This was still asking about God's will being known in the grave.  As Matthew Henry says, deceased bodies cannot know anything of God, even if their spirit does.  Verse thirteen states, But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.  Heman said that he was alive and had called to God every morning.  As long as we live as followers of Christ, we should continue to pray to God, even if the answer to our prayer does not come immediately.  Verse fourteen asks, LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?  Heman now basically asked how God could abandon him and hide Himself from him.  Once more, even if our prayers are not immediately answered, or if they aren't answered the way we want them to be, we must never believe that God has abandoned us or doesn't hear us.  Verse fifteen declares, I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.  Heman said he was ready to give up and die.  He had become afraid of God's wrath against him.  One thing we as Christians never have to fear is that God is going to abandon us because of His wrath against us.  If we problems of the world seem overwhelming, we need to just move closer to God in faith.  Verse sixteen adds, Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.  Heman continued to speak of his fear of the wrath of God.  We as followers of Christ should never fear God's everlasting wrath, even if He does not immediately answer our prayers.  Of course, if we allow allow sin back in our life,we may be chastised by God, but we still do not have to fear facing His everlasting wrath when judgment day comes.  Verse seventeen continues, They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.  Matthew Henry says that Heman had suffered from these times of fear from his youth, but they had become worse.  Some people, even though they know they are saved by their faith in Jesus Christ, still tend to have bouts of doubt about God's protection, but He will never fail us.  Verse eighteen concludes, Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.  Heman said everyone, even those that he loved and his acquaintances had left him, and seems to imply that God had caused this to happen.  Even if the whole world deserts us, we must remain faithful to God and never blame Him for this happening.