Praising through lament
Read Psalm 119:81-88
God already has, and will continue to deliver his people.
“My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:81 (NIV)
Psalm 119:81-88 is a cry of deep anguish and desperation. The Psalmist is lamenting over being wrongfully persecuted. He longs for God’s salvation; he feels that God isn’t listening and he is left searching for God’s promise and comfort.
It might be easy for you to empathise with the Psalmist, feeling like the world is against you and that you’re crying out to God, not knowing if/when he is listening.
There is space for lament with God, yet the Psalmist knows how to articulate it well and put lament in his rightful place, within obedience and praise. It’s a longing for God’s salvation by putting our hope in God’s Word (119:81), never forgetting His statutes (119:83), or rejecting His precepts (119:87), and in keeping His law (119:88).
We have confidence that God is faithful and is the ultimate judge. The Psalmist couldn’t see the fulfillment of God’s promise, yet both of these are seen in Jesus. He is our salvation, our comfort, our confidence.
So, friend, cling to God if times are tough. And ask God to show you who else might need to be reminded of His faithfulness today. Go and bless them with the reminder that God has already won the war against sin and death, that he’s already overcome the world, and that he loves them deeply and profoundly.