Bottom Line
Lament is about bringing our REAL pain into the presence of a REAL God.
Exchange Suppression with Honest Expression
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will by enemy triumph over me?
Psalm 13:1-2
First an inward expression.
Then an upward expression.
Exchange Isolation with Community
Lament becomes even more powerful when we bring others into it.
And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you…”
1 Samuel 23:16-17
Exchange Despair with Trust
But I will trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13:5-6
Despair grows when we forget our story with God. But Trust grows when we remember God’s faithfulness.
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will by enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death
and my enemy will say, “ I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I will trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13
Action Steps
Reflection Questions
- What pain in my life needs to be exposed?
- Do I have community in my life that I can share the hard stuff with?
- How has God demonstrated his faithfulness to me?
Practice
- Write a Lament
- Call a friend and let them know you are struggling.
- Journal about God’s past faithfulness in your life.
