Hey, Church! 

“We may hear our hearts say, ‘It’s hopeless!’ but we should argue back.”  – Timothy Keller

About one third of the Psalms are laments, which express a particular grief, injustice, or pain to God. The biblical laments generally follow the formula: turn, complain, ask, and trust.* In addition to the many psalms, Jeremiah wrote a whole book of the Bible called “Lamentations” as an expression of sorrow over the waywardness of Israel and the consequent destruction of Jerusalem. In all, the Bible gives us permission to express our complaints to God and even provides a sort of instruction manual for doing so in the right way. 

The first step is to turn our complaint to God. When sorrows come, we are not a people who faithlessly scream into the void, “Why has God forsaken me?” Rather, the Psalms teach us that God’s people express their grievances to Him directly: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Complaining about God corrupts, hardens, and embitters the heart. Instead, we are instructed to complain to God. The redemptive power of our lament hinges on this first, crucial step. 

The second step is to complain. What are the particular circumstances causing your grief? The psalmists point to situations like enemies closing in, a sorrowful soul, or God’s aloof withholding of deliverance. The notion that Christians should never complain, but always smile as if all is sunshine and roses is simply not realistic (or biblical). We must not get stuck in our complaints, lest we be called grumblers, like the Israelites in the wilderness. But lament is a bridge that will lead those who travel it in faith to a deeper trust in God. 

Step three is to ask. “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?” (Ps. 44:23-24) The question “why” is certainly one we can all understand! Another noteworthy question in lament psalms is “How long?” For example, in Psalm 13: 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Lastly, laments end with an expression of confidence in God’s character and works. After turning to Him with our grief, airing our complaints, and asking the questions that most burn in our hearts (“Why” or “How long?”), we arrive at the lament’s ultimate destination: surrendered trust. In Jeremiah’s Lamentations, the climactic and often quoted moment comes in chapter three: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” While we may envision serene lakes at sunrise, or a warm field of flowers, when we think of the mercies of God that are new every morning, it is important to recognize that Jeremiah’s famous words are spoken over a smoldering warzone. The message is, essentially, “Everything around me lays in waste and yet You, O God, are merciful and just.” Laments are different than the grumbling complaints of Israel in the wilderness; they grieve as those who have hope in the character of their God. 

Keller’s quote above may be a timely reminder for anyone who is currently walking through tragic loss. “We may hear our hearts say, ‘It’s hopeless!’ but we should argue back.” The transformative power of biblical laments is found in the concluding assertion of trust: “Yet will I trust Him.” When we view our circumstances in light of the character and work of God, it anchors our hearts to the truths we believe, rather than the way things appear to us. Laments are an opportunity to rehearse biblical truths in the midst of difficultly and sorrow. Those truths, then, foster within us a supernatural hope and peace that would otherwise be impossible to muster. 

Whatever the weather forecast of your soul looks like today, will you turn and make your requests known to God? Give thanks for clear skies, or tell him about your disappointment in the storm. When you express your laments, do so with confident trust in the character of your God.