Lament

Over the last few weeks I've been working through a lesson for youth tomorrow. Yeah, I know, it's crazy to work on a lesson for that long, but I hate coming into something not having totally thought through it. It makes me feel unprepared. Anyways, it's been a good few weeks with the material. One thing that really hit me again while I was preparing was the lament psalm. There are a lot of them in the book of Psalms, and many are so super gut-honest that it blows me away. I remember learning about them in Psalms class at CMU and thinking "How can David say stuff like this to God? It doesn't seem right!" But I learned that God wants so much to hear us express how we feel, what we think, where we are at, and he can take it even if we are complaining or discouraged with him.

So, I'm reminded that I can share my deep-down emotions, thoughts, desires with God even if it's not in pretty words. He can take it, and wants that kind of relationship with me. He wants to hear from me at all times, no matter if life is good, if it's mediocre, or if it's really the pits.

My favourite lament psalm...Psalm 13. Why? I don't know. Maybe it was the first one I remember reading, or because there is a beautiful song I know based on it, or because there is so much despondency in it with an amazing glimpse of hope at the end.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

[Psalm 13, NIV]