Crossview Church
Dan DeRoche | Psalm 77
Book Resource:
"Dark Clouds Deep Mercy" by Mark Vroegop
My Hope For This Series:
• To have our faith strengthened in the midst of suffering
• To become better followers of Jesus
• To help care for others who are experiencing suffering
What does it mean to lament?
Lament is the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with pain and the promise of God’s goodness.
He has given us a way where both pain and His promise can live together and that place is called lament.
Lament is voicing our fears and struggles while at the same time pointing our hearts toward God.
Without Lament:
Instead of a sweet, vibrant relationship with God we risk having a relationship with God that is filled with silence, bitterness, anger and resentment.
Overview of lament:
TURN | COMPLAINT | ASK | TRUST
Psalms 77:1-2 CSB
“To pray in pain, even with its messy struggle and tough questions, is an act of faith where we open our hearts to God.”
-Mark Vroegop
Psalms 77:3-4 CSB
Praying in the midst of pain doesn’t mean the pain immediately goes away.
Psalms 77:5-9 CSB
Honest prayer like this recognizes that pain and suffering create difficult emotions that may NOT be based in truth, however they FEEL true nonetheless.
Psalms 77:10-12 CSB
Psalms 77:13-15 CSB
While we are still in pain, lament reminds our hearts of what we know to be true.
Psalms 77:16-20 CSB
[Regarding God's salvation by parting the Red Sea for the Israelites]
That act was an anchor for the weary soul. It reminded them of God’s saving hand.
For Christians today that anchor is the cross.
This Week:
Spend time in one of these lament Psalms.
3, 5, 10, 13, 70, 71, 77, 86
No one taught you to cry. Tears are part of what it means to be human. But to lament is Christian. It is a prayer of faith for the journey between a hard life and God’s goodness. We need to learn to lament. Through the tears, the first step is to turn to God in prayer.