Learning To Lament
Notes
Transcript
Reminder: Life is unfair.
Reminder: Life is unfair.
I don’t like. You don’t like it but it is true. This is one of the fundamental realities of the world we live in.
What do we do when our expectations are not met?
What do we do when our expectations are not met?
This is a key question we must ask ourselves often.
What role does suffering play in our faithfulness?
What role does suffering play in our faithfulness?
This is a second very powerful yet strange question.
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
We must remember that sometimes suffering will happen. The questions is, what role will it play in our faith development. Jesus suffered, and so at times we will.
We need to regain Biblical lament.
We need to regain Biblical lament.
This is different than just complaint or protesting injustice. Those are important but Biblical lament is deeper and different.
The majority of Psalms is a lament.
The majority of Psalms is a lament.
As interesting as this sounds it is true.
“The Psalms are the mirror of the soul.” John Calvin What a great quote about life in general.
Lament remembers God’s salvation.
Lament remembers God’s salvation.
This is what our beginning verses talk about. God’s salvation history throughout the generations.
Lamenting is built upon the character of God.
Lamenting is built upon the character of God.
This goes hand and hand with the above point.
Lament is rooted in reality.
Lament is rooted in reality.
There is no delusion that life is good. The Palmists never act as if life is good when it is not. Sometimes in our rush to get to redemption and the Resurrection we forget and try to bypass the cross.
The innocent sometimes suffer.
The innocent sometimes suffer.
The Psalmist proclaims this. Not in the way we want to say, not true. Yes all sin but like Job innocence does not mean sinless.
However, we need not just resign and say “I deserve this” as if it some fault of our own.
We must keep a Kingdom perspective.
We must keep a Kingdom perspective.
Here is the point, to some extent of verse 22.
God is able to save!
God is able to save!
Our God is not some weak God who cannot do something. It is able to completely work in this world as He chooses.
God’s love never changes!
God’s love never changes!
Just because we suffer does not mean God doesn’t love us! Just because life is unfair and we do not understand doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us. Just because there is injustice in this world does not mean God doesn’t love us.