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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your nightly scripture.

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Speaker 1: My calming, scripture centered devotional podcast designed to help you

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Speaker 1: end each day with God's word in your mind and

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Speaker 1: on your heart. Right after the short word from our sponsors,

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Speaker 1: will reflect on tonight's scripture Psalm eighty eight versus one

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Speaker 1: through five. Tonight's scripture reflection is written by Amberginter and

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Speaker 1: read by Carrie Iberger. Psalm eighty eight, verses one through five. Lord,

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Speaker 1: you are the God who saves me day and night.

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Speaker 1: I cry out to you me my prayer. Come before

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Speaker 1: you turn in your ear to my cry. I am

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Speaker 1: overwhelmed with troubles, and my life draws near to death.

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Speaker 1: I am counted among those who go down to the pit.

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Speaker 1: I am like one without strength. I am set apart

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Speaker 1: with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave,

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Speaker 1: whom you remember no more, who are cut off from

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Speaker 1: your care. It was a cool evening for May, but

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Speaker 1: the bite I felt inside was worse. I'd prayed but

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Speaker 1: received no answer. I intellectually knew that God heard and

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Speaker 1: saw me. But if that was true, then why did

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Speaker 1: he feel so far away? Why was his presence absent?

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Speaker 1: Did he hear my pleas in the middle of the night.

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Speaker 1: In Psalm eighty eight, verses one through five, our psalmist

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Speaker 1: feels the same way He's cried out to God day

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Speaker 1: and night, but is overwhelmed by life's circumstances. Though he

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Speaker 1: knows God is the one who saves him. That doesn't

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Speaker 1: diminish the overwhelming feeling he has. The image our psalmist

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Speaker 1: feels here is dark. He feels he's been set apart

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Speaker 1: with the dead and those who are dead in the

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Speaker 1: grave remembered no more yikes, talk about some dark depression.

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Speaker 1: But the beauty of this psalm is that the psalmist

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Speaker 1: knows God is still the God who saves him. Bringing

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Speaker 1: our circumstances to the Lord as they are is important.

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Speaker 1: It's okay to tell God you're tired and worn, especially

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Speaker 1: when the darkness doesn't left. He loves you deeply and

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Speaker 1: doesn't shame you for feeling this way. But even in

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Speaker 1: this place, He's still your rescue, your God, your safe space,

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Speaker 1: and he loves you. When was the last time you

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Speaker 1: felt God wasn't answering your prayers? Are these dark knights

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Speaker 1: of the soul familiar to you? Do you bring them

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Speaker 1: to the Lord, honestly. Psalm eighty eight reminds us that

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Speaker 1: we can bring our whole selves, anxiety, depression, and emotions

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Speaker 1: to the Lord, because even in the midst of our darkness,

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Speaker 1: he's there. He sees you. Your deliverance will come, even if

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Speaker 1: it doesn't come right away. As you prepare for rest,

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Speaker 1: ask yourself, do I pray honestly when I'm in dark moments?

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Speaker 1: If you don't, ask the Lord, help you be authentic

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Speaker 1: with Him even in dark places. Dear Jesus, as this

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Speaker 1: day comes to a close, I'm honestly worn and weary.

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Speaker 1: Please help me to seek you in the darkness, knowing

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Speaker 1: you bring light to every situation, even when I can't

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Speaker 1: see or feel you near. You love me, see me,

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Speaker 1: and will rescue me from these hard places. Amen, Thank

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Speaker 1: you for listening to your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture was

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Speaker 1: read from the New International Version by Biblica. All rights reserved.

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Speaker 1: If Tonight's episode blessed, you, be sure to follow the

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Speaker 1: show on Apple Podcasts so your next Nightly Scripture is

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Speaker 1: ready when you are. Your Nightly Scripture is a production

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Speaker 1: of Life Audio and Salem Media. Thank you and We'll

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Speaker 1: see you tomorrow night,