Lamentations & Hallelujahsናሙና

Lamentations

She sat under the tree in our front yard wailing. My mother had just buried her husband the day before, and the tears finally had permission to flow. For many years I thought that a lament was crying when someone we loved died. Lamentations are more than tears. They are prayers birthed out of the pain and sorrows of life. Many times I’ve felt the pressure to see the “good” in the midst of heartbreak or loss. I’ve seen others feel the pressure of “celebrating the life” of a loved one gone too soon when they can’t find anything to celebrate…yet. Would I appear ungrateful, complaining, would God disapprove of my lament?

We are often encouraged to skip through the pain to find the beauty, to see the good, to get the answers when there is simply none...yet. We rush from the Good Fridays to the Easter Sundays of life because we believe that is what we’re supposed to do, no time for lamentations. Don’t forget that God offers beauty to replace the ashes, the oil of joy for those who mourn, a garment of praise for those faint in spirit. This is a reminder that He meets us in these moments. We aren’t left alone.

Lamenting is hard. It’s messy and often lonely as we pour out our pain, sorrows, and frustrations to God. It’s an invitation to help us talk to God. To be honest about our pain. And express our feelings as we journey through the hard stuff. It is not wrong for us to pour out our hearts to Jesus, “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was honest in His lamentation. His soul overwhelmed with sorrow, He poured out His heart to the Father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

What do lamentations look like, sound like? The Bible has many illustrations, yet we don’t talk much about it. More than two-thirds of the Psalms are a lament. We also see that many of the Psalms of lament end with a hallelujah. Yes, lamentation to hallelujah is possible. We can decide to raise a hallelujah.

Over the next few days, we are going to take a look at some of the elements of lamenting that we see in the Bible, especially in the Psalms. 

• Address God 
• Bring your complaint 
• Ask for Help 
• Choose to Trust

Prayer: Father, I want to be honest with You. I don’t want to shy away from You when I am going through hard times. Your ears are open to those who call on Your name, You do not reject those who see You. Help me to trust in Your plans for my life, to learn to wait on You and seek You in all seasons of my life. Amen