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Lament and Praise

February 26th, 2023

Psalm 31:14-24

Sometimes we find ourselves being mistreated by others through no fault of our own. It is easy to feel that we are surrounded and alone in these moments. Like Psalm 31, we can even begin to feel like God has abandoned us. In those moments, psalms like this one are so helpful.

A lot of Christian music and writing shies away from the sense of abandonment we feel when it seems like the whole world has turned on us. We feel guilty if we consider even for a moment that God has abandoned us. Stacking guilt on top of doubt doesn’t help anyone, but it is for moments like this that God has given us psalms that say things like, “In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight! Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.” (31:22)

When we feel alone, the book of Psalms provides us the raw and faithful reflections of those who came before us. These psalms of lament and praise are an incredible gift.

Author: Steven Malcolm