Out Of The Depths
The Hebrew word for the Psalms is Tehillim. It means “songs of praise”. Looking at this title, you would expect to find mostly songs of praise and the glorification of God, and there are plenty of them. These have become the inspiration for hymns and songs used by God’s people throughout the ages. Yet, there is another category of psalms that is just as common as the songs of praise, and that it the psalms of lament. These reverberate with cries of suffering and many express complaint and protest before God. As in the book of Job, questions are raised like: “Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?” (Ps. 44.24) And, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22.1)
I have often wondered why so much human pain, unbelief and protest is articulated before God and allowed to be so nakedly revealed in the Scriptures. I believe the answer is in that God not only wants us to come to Him in our times of praise, but also in our times of despair and agony. Though most of the Scriptures are God’s words to us, here in these Psalms is our words to Him, where we express the bitter or sweet experiences of life. Nothing is too secret to be hidden from God. He knows it anyway. We can be comforted with the fact that He is just as much involved with us in our pain, doubts, fears and agonies, as He is with our happiness, security, prosperity and faith.
Honesty is the best foundation for all human relationships. No one likes hypocrisy and falsehood, especially God. In Isaiah 29.13, it says: “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.” Empty, false praise is abhorrible to God. Honest lament is better than false praise. We are encouraged to approach God with everything that is in our hearts. He is not scandalized by our “depths”. He will not turn His back on us when we doubt. We don’t need to present an image of victory by pasting a smile on our face, when we come before Him. Just let it out.
The Psalms reflect the reality of human existence. Life is not a bed of roses all the time. There are times we go through the “valley of the shadow of death”. (Ps. 23.4) And, there are times of “green pastures and still waters.” (Ps. 23.2) In each of life’s experiences, God promises to be with us. The laments, in the Psalms, help us find our way out of the “depths” to our Lord. God allowed Elijah to complain and express his fears as he fled from the wrath of Queen Jezebel. There, hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb, Elijah laid his soul bare before the Lord. He felt alone, unappreciated and defeated, yet God was there. As God whispered, Elijah came out of the depths. He received new direction and his strength was restored.
The laments and the praise are both facts of life. From the “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me”, to, “God, where are you?”, all have their place in our mere mortality. God is not silent in these times. Just quiet your soul for a moment and listen: He is whispering. “Fear not….when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you…for I am with you” (Is. 43.3,5)
Scriptures to meditate on:
Psalms 22.1; 23; 44.24; Is. 43.2; Phil. 4.6; Rom. 8.39; I Kings 19.1-18