In the aftermath of yet another mass shooting—this time in Boulder, Colorado, I find myself grieving again for victims and families affected.
Today’s post may be appropriate as it addresses lament. I hope you practice it, taking time to grieve when you need to grieve. Lament over your own personal losses, the losses of others, and the state of our nation and world.
Experiencing a crisis of faith is normal and common after experiencing betrayal trauma. We question God’s faithfulness. We question His whereabouts. We question His love. A whole book of the Bible, Lamentations, is devoted to Jeremiah’s lamenting.
My pastor recently gave a message on lament. He said, “Lament is the reality of my pain plus reality of God‘s goodness and mercy.” (Psalm 13)
A good place to start when we find ourselves questioning our faith is with lament.
When lamenting we should do 3 things while we pour out our hearts out to God.
- Acknowledge the pain. (In Psalm 13:1-2 we see David being humble and honest.)
- Bring a bold request. (In vs. 3-4 David shows confidence based on who God is.)
- Choose trust. (In vs. 5-6 David shows trust is a decision when life doesn’t make sense.)
Choose trust through God’s word. Pray God’s word. Recite the verses. Memorize.
Choose trust through God’s spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to interceed. (Romans 8:26)
Choose trust through God’s people. We were meant for community, not to walk alone.
Take hold of Jesus in the storm.