Have you ever wanted to ask God the question, "WHY?"
At some point along our journey, many of us have been taught never to question God. The idea of raising a complaint before the Lord somehow made us less spiritual, unholy, or an outright heathen!
I’ve always questioned where that theology came from. To me, it didn’t make sense. How can we be in an intimate relationship with a God, who we could never bring our concerns or share our deepest pains with? How could we serve a God who we could never ask the question, Why?
Why did this coronavirus pandemic take the life of my loved one?
Why did my child have to die in that car crash?
Why did the business that I work so hard to build close?
WHY GOD?!?
But then…
I began to study the Psalms and I saw how it was filled with expressions of pain and sorrow. David, a notable leader in the Bible, shared a number of his grievances before God.
In Psalm 13 NIV, David wrote:
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
David’s complaint, also referred to as a lament, was heartfelt. He placed his deepest fears and inhibitions before the Lord.
And he did so as an act of faith because whenever we come to God in prayer, whether in praise or lament, we are acknowledging that God is our provider, strength, and the one we trust.
That is intimacy. It is having an authentic relationship, where we don’t have to pretend to “be okay” or “be strong,” but we can be honest about the fact that we are hurting and struggling to come to grips with a loss or disappointment that we’ve experienced along this journey called life.
Once I understood this, the separation that stood between me and God began to dissipate. I serve a God that can handle my “Whys,” and more importantly, stands beside me when I struggle.
So I write my lament today, not from a stance of pride or disdain towards God, but from a place of knowing that turning to God is where my strength comes from.
The word says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
So I cry out to Him in this moment...
Lord, I grieve the multitude of losses that have transpired around the world.
The loss of life
The loss of church fellowship
The loss of businesses
The loss of going to school
The loss of graduation celebrations and proms
The loss of sharing a hug with a friend
The loss of the countless dreams upspoken
God, we need you right now more than ever. Hear my prayer and the cries of your children today. Amen.
Listen to our latest podcast episode, where we continue the conversation on grief, loss, and lament, by clicking HERE.
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