“Our life with God is an unfolding process … the depths of life breathe and communicate just as profoundly as the heights. Lament has a purpose in our relationship with God.” Julie Sheridan Smith
Reflections on Psalm 130 – EXPLORING LAMENT
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
Psalm 130 NIV
LAMENT REVERBERATES THROUGH THE SOUL
Imagine hearing these words through the deep tones of the bow pulled across the strings of a cello. You can feel this cry of lament reverberating through your skin and soul. As we hear the cello’s lament, we hear our voices crying out to God from our own experiences of grief or pain, depression or illness, frustration or confusion.
Such experiences are familiar to all of us at some point. I imagine this prayer has been spoken in our hearts and lifted to God in some way at some time. These feelings can be isolating and lonely.
WE ARE NOT LEFT IN DESPAIR
What a relief to know we are not left in our despair! This lament contains no sense of abandonment or absence of God’s presence. The psalmist cries out insistently, proclaiming God’s character and passionate love. Even from the depths of chaos, we can have confidence, deep trust, and a knowing relationship with God.
We can hear God’s true essence spoken through the tone and experience of lament. At its core (even in the deep and the dark), lament fosters the knowledge of God’s mercy and forgiveness. The author of Psalm 130 knows God is not a punitive God interested in marking or keeping a tally of our failings. Thus, the psalmist can speak of the soul waiting for the Lord not with impatience or passivity but with assurance and expectancy (for the Hebrew word translated here to wait also translates to hope).
WAITING AND HOPING—LIVING EXPECTANTLY
Our spiritual life is like this. Our life with God is an unfolding process over time in which the depths of life breathe and communicate just as profoundly as the heights. Lament has a role and a purpose in our relationship with God.
The Psalmist writes of those who watch for the morning. We can imagine (in the time and place of the psalmist) a watchman waiting on the city wall, protecting the city through the night by watching for the enemy—yet also watching for the dawning light of day, knowing the light would come.
How often do you lie awake at night, those hours seeming longer than any daytime hours? Yet when morning comes, even though we may be exhausted, there is the chance for renewal and trust that God has been with us in the dark.
Jesus has been to the cross, so when we feel our own lives have been crucified with pain, we can cry out from the depths of our sorrow, knowing He is right there with us. We remember that sorrow and pain walk hand in hand with the sure knowledge of what God can do—and we remember that even sorrow and deep pain can watch, wait, and hope.
As you begin exploring lament, may you hear this in the depth of your own heart today. Amen.
PRAYER
Father, Your word repeatedly shows us that You are ready to hear our honest cries to You. Assure us that You are right there in the dark with us. May we know that with You, the light will come again. In Jesus’ name, amen.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- Reread Psalm 130. Which phrase stands out to you today?
- Can you remember a time when you lay awake at night and sensed God’s presence?
- What role do you see lament having in your relationship with God?
INVITATION
Have you ever written a lament to God? Why not try today? You can use the Writing a Psalm of Lament printable to help you get started.
Rev. Julie Sheridan-Smith
Julie is a mother, wife, ordained minister, and Chronic Joy® founding board member. She and her husband have three adult children. Julie became familiar with chronic pain when her daughter became gravely ill with gastroparesis. Illness and the anxiety that accompanies it drew her to speak of God’s presence in and through pain, for those who experience it and those who love them.
Sorrow, Lament & Breath Prayers for Grief
Grief is no stranger to those of us affected by illness and pain. Sorrow is unavoidable, individual, and a universally shared journey. But grief is also a precursor of hope and the catalyst for growth. Lament gives us the language to name our pain, creating space for hope without minimizing grief and trauma. Through lament, we learn to speak of loss, sorrow, and grief honestly with God, asking the hard questions without condemnation.
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