Commentary from, Getting Involved with God, by Ellen Davis
Psalms referenced:
102, 42, 22, 88, 126, and 130.
LAMENT IS:
· A form of prayer that addresses God.
· A clear statement that NAMES the truth of the evil, the suffering or the pain.
· Affirmation of God’s faithfulness
· Affirmation of the hope of deliverance.
· Freedom to feel terrible in God’s presence.
· Communal—gives us something to do with suffering, has us present with it.
· Carries the action to God-4 God to act, in hope.
· Calling God out on promises made!
IS NOT:
· an answer to the problem; it doesn’t solve anything.
· Not complaining or griping.
· Not a way to avoid suffering to but a way to lean into it.
Lament is A REFLECTION OF TRUE RELATIONSHIP!
LAMENT SPEAKS OF THE CLOSENESS TO BE REAL AND HONEST!
"BECAUSE we have faith, we have the capacity to lament." Mandy Green
Psalm 13
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 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?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Psalm 42
As the hart longs after the water brooks, So my soul longs for you, Elohim. 2 My soul thirsts for Elohim, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the Elohim? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, In this, they continually say unto me, Where are your Elohim? 5 Why are you bowed down my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.
7 Deep calls to deep at the noise of thy water spouts: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 8 Yet Jehovah will command his lovingkindness in the day-time; And in the night his song shall be with me, My prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why am I dark because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with a shattering in my bones, mine adversaries torment me, While they say all day to me, Where is your God? 11 Why art thou cast down, my soul? And why do you rage within me? Hope in God; for I shall praise him, Who is the Yeshuah (salvation) of my countenance, and my God.
(My Translation)