“In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.” Psalm 77:2
November 3, 2025
Finally, she was able to drive by herself. At age sixteen she could now drive. That very day she and a friend went for a short drive. At an intersection, another car ran a red light and t-boned the young girl and her friend. Her parents received the phone call that changed their lives and hers. Their daughter was severely injured and would never walk or drive again. Grief is not tame. One out of three psalms in the Old Testament is in the minor-key of lament. There is a pattern to them: They are addressed to God, a complaint, a request, and an expression of trust and/or praise at the end. Believers in Jesus Christ are not exempt from awful things happening to them. The truth is, “to cry is human, but lament is Christian.” What is your story? “Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust” (Mark Vroegop, Dark Clouds – Deep Mercy). The psalmist cries out to God with his complaint, “Why me?” “Why now?” We will not see the whole lament in Psalm 77 at this time. But take the time to think and respond to “what are some of the hard and painful questions that you’ve asked God over the years?” Read Psalm 77 in the next two days. What are your impressions? Do you have a complaint against God?
H
“O Father of all mercies and God of all comfort, teach me the way to pray my way through moods of despondency and the struggles of life.”