Most of us know someone for whom life has been particularly hard. Maybe they live with chronic pain, have faced the loss of a child, or have faced multiple adversities. Perhaps you’ve been in this place too. If so, you’ll know that dealing with these challenges can be spiritually depressing. We want God to intervene, but He hasn’t. And that can leave us feeling sad, lonely, and angry.
Surprisingly, these very feelings are found in Scripture. Almost half the book of Psalms is made up of what are called “psalms of lament”—cries of protest, doubt, and complaint. “How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?” David cries out while under attack (Psalm 35:17). ”All night long I prayed,” Asaph says, “but my soul was not comforted” (Psalm 77:2). “Remember how short my life is,” cries Ethan, “how empty and futile this human existence!” (Psalm 89:47). As the Spirit inspired these writers, He felt no compulsion to leave out their raw emotions—even when they were directed at God.
Lament is about being honest with Him. At times we may feel He has let us down. Like the psalmists, we can voice our laments.
This can make us feel uncomfortable. Aren’t we supposed to be respectful to God and simply trust Him? Yes. But we can still be honest about our pain. Psalm 13 is a helpful guide here. David begins in despair, saying, “O Lord, how long will you forget me!” (Psalm 13:1). But he ends with hope, saying, “I trust in your unfailing love” (Psalm 13:5). In between, he expresses anguish, sorrow, and frustration (Psalm 13:2-4).
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Jesus cried out, uttering a psalm of lament on the cross (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). We too can bring our laments to our loving, listening God.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 7:1-12
More:
Read Psalm 90:13-14 and consider what Moses was seeking from God.
Next:
How comfortable are you in being completely honest with God? How can voicing our lament lead to hope in Him?
Gary Shultz on July 3, 2016 at 6:37 am
Sheridan, you may tell me if I’m wrong; however the better we know and grow with God the smaller those spaces of despair, discouragement, and lament will and should be. We are human we will hurt, in many ways, Jesus shows us He understands, He also shows us He has overcome. To express our anguish to God is a most responsive part of the life; conversation we should be having with God. I do say “part”, as the case in the Psalms, the individual unloads their cares and pain, and they see God clearly once again. The God who has always been good and deeply loves His child. His child begins to become more balanced knowing God knows and has a plan, not just any plan the best plan, the plan that will lead beyond the hurt and flow right into Heaven itself. He knows we have lamenting experiences in life, but He brings opportunity for the faithful to trust Him when all seems lost. We know in Him it is not. Thanks Sheridan
Sheridan Voysey on July 3, 2016 at 10:32 am
I get your point, Gary – the more we grow in God the more we’ll trust him with the lamentable moments. However, the biblical writers who give us the language of lament were pretty godly, mature people who’d walked with God for years. And the deepest lament in history came from Jesus on the cross, and no one has come closer to the Father than him. So, I think lament can be appropriate for all levels of Christian maturity.
al061016 on July 3, 2016 at 1:52 pm
Amen. This is also the place where the healing starts. When we are completely honest in our prayer to Him, His healing power will start to work in us to heal us in His never ending, never changing, and never failing love. Eventually, we see Him and we can say, yes He is so… good and faithful!!
hsnpoor on July 3, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Bottom line, OK to share your lament with the Lord, who knows & understands; not OK to stay there or “wear out ones welcome” there, because God has you “there” for a reason and we must trust that He will make that reason known in due time.
al061016 on July 3, 2016 at 5:18 pm
I would like to add, once we see Him, He will make everything crystal clear to us. We’ll find He is the answer to all our questions. His presence and the intimate relationship with Him are the best thing we can have in our lives.
al061016 on July 3, 2016 at 9:22 pm
Just a few words to those who are in the process. Be patient to God and to yourselves. As far as we are willing, He will surely take us into His marvellous light. This is His work in us, and His timing is always perfect. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.