From Lament to Praise
Dear Friends,
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From Lament to Praise
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Last week I wrote a post about ME Awareness. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week so I wanted to write a post which relates to this.
Some of you will know I have spent several months in the book of Psalms, reading, meditating and praying them. They have been and continue to be such a blessing to me as I suffer from depression. I have found that the psalmists express so well my thoughts and feelings.
Today I want to share with you one psalm in particular. It is Psalm 102 from The Passion Translation:
"A prayer for those who are overwhelmed and for all the discouraged who come to pour out their hearts before the Lord."
1 Lord, listen to my prayer! Listen to my cry for help!
2 You can’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Stoop down to hear my prayer and answer me quickly, Lord!
3–4 For my days of happiness have gone up in smoke.
My body is raging with fever, my heart is sick,
and I’m consumed by this illness—
withered like a dead leaf. I can’t even eat.
5 I’m nothing but skin and bones.
Nothing’s left of me but whispered groans.
6 I’m depressed, lonely, forgotten, and abandoned.
7 I’m sleepless, shivering in the cold, forlorn and friendless,
like a lonely bird on the rooftop.
8 My every enemy mocks and insults me incessantly.
They even use my name as a curse to speak over others!
9–10 Because of your great and furious anger against me
all I do is suffer with sorrow,
with nothing to eat but a meal of mourning.
My crying fills my cup with salty tears!
In your wrath you have rejected me,
sweeping me away like dirt on the floor.
11 My days are marked by the lengthening shadows of death.
I’m withering away and there’s nothing left of me.
12 But then I remember that you, O Lord,
still sit enthroned as King over all!
The fame of your name will be revealed to every generation.
13 I know you are about to arise and show your tender love to Zion.
Now is the time, Lord,
for your compassion and mercy to be poured out—
the appointed time has come
for your prophetic promises to be fulfilled!
14 For your servants weep in sympathy over Zion’s ruins
and feel love for her every stone.
15 When you arise to intervene,
all the nations and kings will be stunned
and will fear your awesome name, trembling before your glory!
16 Yes, you will reveal yourself to Zion
and appear in the brightness of your glory
to restore her and give her children.
17 He responds to the prayer of the poor and broken
and will not despise the cry of the homeless.
18 Write all this down for the coming generation,
so re-created people will read it and praise the Lord!
19 Tell them how Yah looked down from his high and holy place,
gazing from his glory to survey the earth.
20 He listened to all the groaning of his people longing to be free,
and he set loose the sons of death to experience life.
21 Multitudes will stream to Jerusalem to
praise the Lord and declare his name in Zion!
22 Peoples from every land, their kings and kingdoms,
will gather together to worship the Lord.
23 But God has brought me to my knees, shortening my life.
24 So I cry out to you, my God, Father of eternity,
please don’t let me die!
I know my life is not yet finished.
25 With your hands you once formed the foundations of the earth
and handcrafted the heavens above.
26–27 They will all fade away one day like worn-out clothing,
ready to be discarded, but you’ll still be here.
You will replace it all!
Your first creation will be changed,
but you alone will endure, the God of all eternity!
28 Generation after generation our descendants will live securely,
for you are the one protecting us, keeping us for yourself.
Stoop down to hear my prayer and answer me quickly, Lord!
3–4 For my days of happiness have gone up in smoke.
My body is raging with fever, my heart is sick,
and I’m consumed by this illness—
withered like a dead leaf. I can’t even eat.
5 I’m nothing but skin and bones.
Nothing’s left of me but whispered groans.
6 I’m depressed, lonely, forgotten, and abandoned.
7 I’m sleepless, shivering in the cold, forlorn and friendless,
like a lonely bird on the rooftop.
8 My every enemy mocks and insults me incessantly.
They even use my name as a curse to speak over others!
9–10 Because of your great and furious anger against me
all I do is suffer with sorrow,
with nothing to eat but a meal of mourning.
My crying fills my cup with salty tears!
In your wrath you have rejected me,
sweeping me away like dirt on the floor.
11 My days are marked by the lengthening shadows of death.
I’m withering away and there’s nothing left of me.
12 But then I remember that you, O Lord,
still sit enthroned as King over all!
The fame of your name will be revealed to every generation.
13 I know you are about to arise and show your tender love to Zion.
Now is the time, Lord,
for your compassion and mercy to be poured out—
the appointed time has come
for your prophetic promises to be fulfilled!
14 For your servants weep in sympathy over Zion’s ruins
and feel love for her every stone.
15 When you arise to intervene,
all the nations and kings will be stunned
and will fear your awesome name, trembling before your glory!
16 Yes, you will reveal yourself to Zion
and appear in the brightness of your glory
to restore her and give her children.
17 He responds to the prayer of the poor and broken
and will not despise the cry of the homeless.
18 Write all this down for the coming generation,
so re-created people will read it and praise the Lord!
19 Tell them how Yah looked down from his high and holy place,
gazing from his glory to survey the earth.
20 He listened to all the groaning of his people longing to be free,
and he set loose the sons of death to experience life.
21 Multitudes will stream to Jerusalem to
praise the Lord and declare his name in Zion!
22 Peoples from every land, their kings and kingdoms,
will gather together to worship the Lord.
23 But God has brought me to my knees, shortening my life.
24 So I cry out to you, my God, Father of eternity,
please don’t let me die!
I know my life is not yet finished.
25 With your hands you once formed the foundations of the earth
and handcrafted the heavens above.
26–27 They will all fade away one day like worn-out clothing,
ready to be discarded, but you’ll still be here.
You will replace it all!
Your first creation will be changed,
but you alone will endure, the God of all eternity!
28 Generation after generation our descendants will live securely,
for you are the one protecting us, keeping us for yourself.
When we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, when we are suffering from anxiety, depression etc we can pour out our hearts to God. We don't need to pretend everything is OK and we don't need to try and hide how we are feeling.
The psalmist tells God exactly how he is feeling - his days of happiness are no more, he is consumed by his illness, withering away, depressed, he can't sleep or eat, he is lonely, forgotten, abandoned, misunderstood and criticised. This psalm encourages us that we can speak to God just as the psalmist did. We can tell God exactly how we are feeling without fear of rejection or condemnation.
When we are experiencing intense suffering it can feel like God has turned his face from us. As though he doesn't want anything more to do with us and is leaving us to cope alone. We can't rely on our feelings during these times because they are not telling us the truth.
I love the wording of verses one and two:
Lord, listen to my prayer! Listen to my cry for help! You can’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Stoop down to hear my prayer and answer me quickly, Lord!
"Stoop down to hear my prayer". The psalmist is confident God will hear his prayer. Those words "Stoop down" conjure up such a wonderful image to me. God doesn't keep his distance, he doesn't just turn his head to listen, he actually stoops down. The God Almighty comes down to our level, beside us, to give us his full attention and listens to us. The perfect example of this 'stooping down' is found in Jesus, who gave up his place in heaven to be with us on earth. His presence, his Holy Spirit, is with us right now, indwelling us.
The psalmist, having poured out his heart to God, then has a shift in his perspective in verse twelve:
But then I remember that you, O Lord, still sit enthroned as King over all!
By coming to God and pouring his heart out, he is then able to turn to praise. His circumstances haven't changed but his attitude has as he remembers who God is. That God is the one who is above all things, who is Sovereign and who endures forever. The one who is loving, compassionate and merciful, who keeps all his promises, who will reveal himself in all his glory. He listens to and answers our prayers. Protecting us and keeping us for himself.
I wrote the following prayer after reading and meditating on this psalm. It's one I have already shared on social media but it may be one that you would like to pray now for yourself:
Lord God, won’t you listen to my cry? I’m discouraged and weak. It’s more than I can bear right now. Are you there God? I feel abandoned and misunderstood. I’m withering away. I can’t sleep and I can’t eat. My body has turned against me. BUT then I remember that you, God are enthroned forever. All else will fade away, but you remain the same forever. I praise you that all your promises and purposes are fulfilled in Jesus. Amen.
To Think About:
Read through Psalm 102 again and use them as your prayer to God if they reflect how you are feeling.
Spend some time in psalms, meditate on them and if you feel you don't have the words to pray then use them in your prayers.
Vicki
Read through Psalm 102 again and use them as your prayer to God if they reflect how you are feeling.
Spend some time in psalms, meditate on them and if you feel you don't have the words to pray then use them in your prayers.
Vicki
If you enjoyed reading this devotional blog, then you may like to know that I have two devotional books both of which are available to buy from Amazon. (The content of these books is material adapted from past blog posts.)
Both my devotional books are available to buy through Amazon. "Dear Friend...52 Weeks to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire" If you would like to know more or would like to buy a copy then please click here
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