Creekside Church, February 7, 2021
God, I'm Hurting | The Place and Power of Lament
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Thursday 9:00 AM
Psalm 13
A lament is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.”
Every human cries. But only Christians lament.
“Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from him.”
Mark Vroegop
We read in Revelation about the ending of all laments.
He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4
As a practicing Jew, Jesus would have participated in the communal praying and singing of the Psalms including the Psalms of Lament. And this formed the backdrop for his own practice of lament. We read that Jesus, consistently brought his suffering before God.
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard . . .
Hebrews 5:7
Jesus prayed prayers of lament. Sometimes he quoted laments from the Psalms
“My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
“Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Jesus uses the Psalms of Lament when experiencing pain. Since Jesus does that and since we too have those same resources available to us, would it not make sense for us to use them too?
A LAMENT HAS TYPICALLY FOUR ACTIONS IN IT.
CRY OUT
In lamenting your crying is directed to God.
Tish Warren reminds us, “Jesus wept as one with hope but his hope did not diminish his weeping.”
“How long, LORD?”
Psalm 13:1
“Laments turn us toward God when sorrow tempts us to run from him.”
POUR OUT
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 shall my enemy be exalted over me?”
Psalm 13:1b-2
REACH UP
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.”
Psalm 13:3-4
The Psalms of Lament often include reasons why God should answer the petition.
LIFT UP . . .
This is the action of praise. Listen to how David ends the lament.
“But I 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
Eugene Peterson says “That all true prayer pursued far enough will become praise. It does not always get there quickly, it does not always get there easily but the end is always praise.”
CRY OUT, POUR OUT, REACH UP, LIFT UP.
A lament is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.”
Every human cries. But only Christians lament.
“Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from him.”
Mark Vroegop
We read in Revelation about the ending of all laments.
He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4
As a practicing Jew, Jesus would have participated in the communal praying and singing of the Psalms including the Psalms of Lament. And this formed the backdrop for his own practice of lament. We read that Jesus, consistently brought his suffering before God.
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard . . .
Hebrews 5:7
Jesus prayed prayers of lament. Sometimes he quoted laments from the Psalms
“My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
“Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Jesus uses the Psalms of Lament when experiencing pain. Since Jesus does that and since we too have those same resources available to us, would it not make sense for us to use them too?
A LAMENT HAS TYPICALLY FOUR ACTIONS IN IT.
CRY OUT
In lamenting your crying is directed to God.
Tish Warren reminds us, “Jesus wept as one with hope but his hope did not diminish his weeping.”
“How long, LORD?”
Psalm 13:1
“Laments turn us toward God when sorrow tempts us to run from him.”
POUR OUT
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 shall my enemy be exalted over me?”
Psalm 13:1b-2
REACH UP
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.”
Psalm 13:3-4
The Psalms of Lament often include reasons why God should answer the petition.
LIFT UP . . .
This is the action of praise. Listen to how David ends the lament.
“But I 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
Eugene Peterson says “That all true prayer pursued far enough will become praise. It does not always get there quickly, it does not always get there easily but the end is always praise.”
CRY OUT, POUR OUT, REACH UP, LIFT UP.