Psalm 10:12-18
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Have you ever been in such a difficult place that all you can do is cry out to God and ask him to meet you in your desperation? We don’t often think about telling God about our pain and inviting him into it as an act of worship. Likewise it is rare that we incorporate lament in our weekend worship services. But lament, is an important part of the journey of faith of God’s people in a broken world. Lament helps us to wrestle through suffering and allow God to meet us in our most desperate places.
Several years ago, I found myself in a place of desperation and deep pain as two of my family members were simultaneously in the hospital, one on the brink of death. After a long day running back and forth between the two of them, I excused myself for a moment into the hospital room bathroom. It was the only place I could find solitude. Before I could finish locking the door, I felt my body collapse to the floor and for the next few minutes deeply sobbed in fear, exhaustion, worry, and confusion. It was so intense, I couldn’t catch my breath. All I could do was just say the name of Jesus over and over as I cried out for him to do a miracle for my family. As I poured out my heart to God, he met me on that cold, dirty bathroom floor and gave me the strength to continue supporting and praying for my family. It was a painful season where I learned to give my broken heart to the Lord as worship.
David was skilled in lament. In Psalm 10 he is crying out to the Lord to remember the afflicted and overcome those who have afflicted him. In David’s venting to God, he is calling upon the Lord to bring justice. What is so powerful about this is David lets God be the one to decide how things play out. Like David, letting God know you are experiencing great difficulty and simultaneously recognizing that he is the only solution to your suffering shows trust and faith in God to meet your needs. It is an act of worship. David demonstrates what it looks like to knows God is listening and have an expectation for God to move.
As we intercede for the pain, suffering, and deep needs on behalf of those who are in need during the fast, they may seem greater than we can bear. The beautiful thing is we can be honest with God and trust that he is paying attention. We can expect for him to move on our behalf and be the perfect solution. What I appreciate about David is how he wrestled through his lament to proclamations of God’s goodness. His faith was secure and he knew God was for him in spite of what he was walking through. God is still the same. He is with us in ur suffering and he intervenes on our behalf when we call on his name.
If you are in a season of lament, direct those places of anguish toward the Lord. Let him be the place you turn to with your anger, your frustration, or your lack of understanding. God has broad enough shoulders to handle your deepest hurt. In fact, he says he will be your burden bearer. When we give our lament to God, not only is he the answer to our hurt, he is the one who heals our hearts. He ministers to us. He brings justice and places a salve on our wounds.
Listening Prayer: Holy Spirit, is there any area of my heart I need to give to you in lament? How do you want me to intercede on behalf of those who are lamenting? Pray as the Holy Spirit directs.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we cry out to you with our deepest places of pain, sickness, injustice, betrayal, and anger, and frustration. We don’t understand why things are the way they are. Remember us, oh Lord. How long will you let us continue to hurt? How long ‘til you move your hand on our behalf? We need you now, more than ever. Listen to our cries for help and answer us, for you are the only one in whom we can trust. You are our refuge and our safe place. Be the healer of our bodies and the salve on our wounds for your name is the God who Heals. Come and heal us now, for in you we place our hope. We will sing praises to you, the God of our salvation.
Resource: Bible Verses on Lament
Psalm 142:5-7
I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.
Psalm 34:4-7
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Worship Song: