Background to Psalms 88

O Lord, God of my salvation;
    I cry out day and night before you.
Let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry!

For my soul is full of troubles,
    and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
    I am a man who has no strength,
like one set loose among the dead,
    like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
    for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the pit,
    in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
    and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah

You have caused my companions to shun me;

    you have made me a horror[b] to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
    my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
    I spread out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead?
    Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
    or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
    or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But I, O Lord, cry to you;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?
    Why do you hide your face from me?
Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
    I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.[c]
Your wrath has swept over me;
    your dreadful assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long;
    they close in on me together.
You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
    my companions have become darkness.

Depression: When Darkness Is Your Closest Friend
"It is no accident that Psalm 88 is followed by Psalm 89: which is one of the greatest messianic psalms. The dilemma raised in Psalm 88 is answered by Psalm 89. But there is hope in Psalm 88. A glimmer of light shines through. For despite all the things that the writer is experiencing, he still reaches out to God. Notice how the Psalm begins. “O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you; incline your ear to my cry.” There is hope for joy, because the covenant God, Yahweh is his God. In his suffering, he still confesses that the Lord is his God. And he confesses that he is the God of my salvation. He hasn’t given in to utter hopelessness. This is the darkest Psalm in the Bible, but some light shines in. He still believes God can save him. And thus he doesn’t give up. He still seeks God every day. Even though he is depressed and despondent and suffering, he doesn’t let go of God. He hangs onto him and hopes in him as the anchor of his soul".       Taken from Dark Nights and Dark Days: Psalm 88 by Thomas Schreiner

The Psalms help show us how we can find hope in even the deepest depression. In times of depression, we must cry out to God.
Pray.