Day 1: Reasons to be honest with God

What if the reason you have never really experienced God as the Healer is because...you pretend everything is fine when really, you desperately need healing?
What if the reason you've never really experienced God as the Comforter is because...you say, "But God is good!" instead of acknowledging your very real pain?

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Mt 5:4) Why would someone in pain be blessed? Is it because God enjoys our pain, or because He makes us suffer? No. It is because a season of mourning and pain is when we most need to meet God the Comforter. If we skip mourning or acknowledging our pain, we skip the opportunity to experience God's healing and comfort in that particular area.

My world changed when I recognised that I was missing out on experiencing massive aspects of God's nature by not letting Him in on what I was feeling. Of course, He already knew it, but too often in Christian culture, we slap the 'God is good' bandage right on top of our pain instead of sitting with it. Yes, God is always good...but it's okay to be honest and say, "God is good...and this is one of the most painful seasons of my life."

Throughout the Bible we see heroes of the faith being brutally honest with God. If you've read the Psalms, you've had a glimpse into David's relationship with the Lord. If I had to sum it up in one word, I'd choose..honest.

David often starts with honesty with the Lord about how he's feeling, and some of the Psalms are even written as he hid from King Saul who was trying to kill him. Can you imagine having a conversation about that situation with your friend and saying something along the lines of, 'I'm being hunted down, but it's fine - God is good!' They would (I hope) look at you like you're crazy, and say, 'No, it's not. That's horrible, and I'm sorry.'

When King Saul's son Jonathan realised his father was trying to kill his best friend David and went to tell him, the men wept . "...they wept over one another, David more so." (1 Sam 20:41)

David is teaching us something essential here - to bring your emotions, experiences, and needs before God with honesty, so we can meet a God who would willingly plunge into the middle of our 'pitch-black darkness' with us. (Psalm 23) It's when we let God into our night, that He becomes the most powerful light for us.

Over the next 7 days, we are going to explore key emotions that we as humans all experience - consider this an opportunity to discover which emotions you're comfortable bringing before God, and to meet Him in new ways that maybe your 'God is good' bandage hastily slapped on, hasn't allowed you to so far.

Be Honest:

• Are you honest with God about your emotions? Why or why not?
• How often do you put the 'God is good' bandage on top of your feelings?
• Do you know anyone who you think handles their emotions in a healthy way? What is it about the way they approach their emotions that you admire?

Bonus Challenge:

If you wrote a Psalm today, what would it be about? Try to write one in your own words, using this format:

1. What are you going through at the moment?
2. How are you feeling about it?
3. What do you need God to do?
4. How will He come through?
5. How will the world know Him, as they see Him work this way in your life? A rescuer? A healer? A joy-giver? A mountain-mover?

There's no right or wrong here - it's private between you and the Lord and the pages of your journal or Notes app on your phone. Aim for 'real' language. It's time to get honest with God.