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Psalm 89:38 - Language of lament - Day 153

Good afternoon fellow soldiers,

Wisdom literature helps us to express the entire range of our emotions in a way that honors the Lord. The contrasts we experience are real.  God does not tell us to deny our feelings.  We will all have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  Since the M'Cheyne plan has us go through the Psalms twice, I hope that your knowledge of the variety of expression will grow.  It is good to have "favorite" psalms, but they go together.

Blessings,

Jeff

The first 37 verses are about God's promises to David.  I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever.

Then we hit the brick wall.  But now you have cast off and rejected.  The last 13 verses are pondering this problem.

Example of Casting our cares on the Lord.  The psalmist looks at the solid foundation and the current condition and lays the differences before the Lord.  

God providentially brings difficulties into the lives of His saints.  From our perspective these difficulties appear as abandonment.  Yet the promises remain sure.  We know that faith is tested in these times and shown to be stronger as a result.  

Some people would claim Psalm 91 as a guarantee of no pain and suffering in a believers life.  But that understanding is at odds with these verses.  Living in a fallen world, we are promised God's presence in difficult times, not escape from these times..

It is appropriate to use the "language of lament" when trials come our way.  God inspires the psalmist to give us words that express the heart without accusing God of wrong.  Telling someone going through difficult times (loss of loved one, illness, etc) to just cheer up is not scriptural.  God is not offended when we lament.

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