The Biblical writers knew what it meant to be in times of trouble. Of the many different types of Psalms, the most common is a psalm of lament – a cry to God out of the midst of trouble. These psalms can be very helpful for us, because they not only connect with our life experience; they also show us the way to journey in faith through trouble. The psalms of lament outline five basic steps to take whenever we find ourselves on “stormy seas”:
- Look to God. The first step when we are in dire straits is to realize we need a Savior! We need to turn our spiritual vision to God.
- The Psalms show us that we can come before God with all of our genuine feelings. Go ahead and complain to God! (the Psalms do) We can share ourselves openly and honestly with God, knowing that God cares.
- Ask God for what you need. To ask is also to open ourselves to God’s help. So Jesus would say, “Ask, and it will be given you, seek, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7:7)
- We can know that God rules over all things. The storm may rage around us, but as the Psalmist put it, “You, O Lord, rule the raging of the sea.” (Psalm 89:9) God is able to bring us through every challenge.
- Faith is not asking for things from God. It is coming into a relationship with God, in which we received God’s Spirit and commit ourselves to follow and serve God.
The confidence we can have in God’s saving help is well expressed in Psalm 46 when it says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam . . . . The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm 46:1-3,7)
Sunday’s Scripture Readings:
Psalm 10:1
Psalm 13:1–6
Psalm 69:1–3
Psalm 89:8–9
Psalm 46:1–3, 10–11
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