The first stanza of the old hymn says: “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?” Sometimes life feels exactly like that: heavy, exhausted, and worn thin by the smoke of trials. Like the psalmist, we may feel dried out, wrinkled, and fragile. We are emotionally and spiritually parched, almost forgotten, longing for deliverance.

The psalmist uses a vivid metaphor: “I have become like a wineskin in the smoke.” In ancient times, wine and other liquids were stored in wineskins: bags made from goat or sheep hide. In homes with open hearths and no chimneys, smoke filled the upper parts of the house. Wineskins were often hung from beams, sometimes near the smoke, to give the wine a more mellow tone or simply to keep it off the floor.

Over time, exposure to heat and smoke dried the leather, causing it to wrinkle, shrivel, or even become stiff and fragile. A wineskin left in the smoke for too long could lose its usefulness entirely. The psalmist’s soul feels the same, he is tested, worn down, and exposed to the heat of affliction.

Yet amid this desolation, he declares: “Yet I have not forgotten Your statutes.” Even when no tangible help seems near, when deliverance is delayed, and when opposition presses in, the psalmist clings to the Word of God. The statutes of God are both his comfort and his anchor, reminding him that God’s promises remain steadfast, even when circumstances feel overwhelming.

It is countercultural for some of us to turn to the Word of God in our needs, The natural tendency in face of trials is to resolve our matters first. Like the psalmist, we long for rescue or tangible answers. Our hearts ache for immediate relief. To have a problem solved, a burden lifted, a crisis ended. We want God to act visibly, quickly, and decisively, and it is natural to feel impatient when He does not. Yet the psalmist shows us another path: even in the midst of waiting, weariness, and uncertainty, he held steadfast to the Word of God.

Holding fast to Scripture is not a passive resignation; it is an active, intentional act of faith. It is choosing to focus on the truth of God’s promises rather than the chaos around us. The psalmist’s remembrance of God’s statutes, His commands, His promises, His faithful character becomes the very lifeline that sustains him. While he cannot see the full picture or control his circumstances, he can anchor his soul in the unchanging Word of God.

Faith, therefore, is not the absence of trials or suffering. It is choosing to trust God even when the way forward seems unclear, to believe His goodness even when the present is painful, and to let the Word of God shape our perspective and strengthen our endurance. Clinging to God’s statutes transforms waiting from despair into hope, from helplessness into patient trust, and from fear into quiet confidence that God’s deliverance is sure, even if delayed.

In this way, our trials become the context in which faith is refined. Like the wineskin hanging in the smoke, our external circumstances may leave us brittle and worn, but when we cling to Scripture, our inner life remains nourished and strengthened. That is why the psalmist ends this section with verse 88, “In Your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of Your mouth.” And so the hymn’s chorus gently calls to us: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” Turn back to the Word who became flesh, the living embodiment of God’s promises. The smoke may darken our days; we may feel dried out or forgotten. Yet Christ remains our life, our anchor, and our hope.

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, You know how easily my heart grows weary and my faith feels fragile. When I am surrounded by the smoke of trials and can no longer see clearly, draw me near to You. Remind me of Your steadfast love and the sure promises of Your Word. Teach me to wait upon You with patient trust, to cling to Your truth when all else fades, and to find comfort not in quick solutions but in Your unchanging character. Renew my soul by Your Spirit, that even in affliction I may keep the testimonies of Your mouth. Lord Jesus, help me to turn my eyes upon You, for You are my life, my anchor, and my eternal hope. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.