Joy in Lament

Me

Beginning a 3 week series on Joy

May seem weird to start in Lament, but we see this pattern in Scripture.

Difficult times.

Experienced spiritual warfare

Times of Lament

One that comes to mind was wanting to quit TIU

Lament teaching

These times can be difficult and unfortunately these times are all but certain for each and everyone of us.

We

We share stories and prayer requests. One thing that is almost university is lament.

Do we seek God in lament.

By this I do not mean look for him to solve a problem but seek him in that time.

Worship Him fully

The Joy of God will be with us through our Lament

It is amazing that we have a God who walk with us in these times.

God

Pray

We will be in several passages this morning, but lets start in Psalm 130 “A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Psalm 130 ESV

A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Define Lament: a passionate expression of grief. - Oxford

Background of Lament Psalms

For a book of praise (tehelim) the most abundant type of Psalm is Lament

Power of the Psalms.

Calvin - anatomy of the soul

Now for a series on joy, I realize that I am spending a lot of time on Lament.

To understand the power of joy we need to know what it is. It is not happiness.

Passion vs affections (basic)

Definition of Joy

Oxford: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness

But its more

New Dictionary of Theology Joy

The most common root for joy in the NT, however, is that which expresses inward joy

It is connected with faith.

True joy comes from God.

So then if we are to always have joy, how can we have joy in the bad times.

We Must Seek Joy in Times of Lament

The Psalmists are writing in the midst of their pain.

The wrote to express their pain.

Model of lament

Exception of Psalm 88

They did not suddenly get over their pain but worked through it.

Application: Dont look for happy, look for joy

Paul and Silas in Jail

Acts 16:25 ESV

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

The Joy of God will be with us through our Lament

God Will Bring Us From Lament

Psalm 22:1

Psalm 22:1–2 ESV

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

Shift in focus Psalm 22:22

Psalm 22:22 ESV

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

Ends with Psalm 22:29-31

Psalm 22:29–31 ESV

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Psalm 30 is technically a thanksgiving Psalm, but has powerful lament aspects.

Psalm 30:8–10 ESV

8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

One of the most powerful reminder of Gods work in our pain in this Psalm.

Break down the portion

What profit is my death

Will the dust praise you and tell you of your faithfulness

Yes all creation will sing the name of God

Mercy on me, be my helper

Jewish celebration

Psalm 30:5 ESV

5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 30:11-12 “11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

Psalm 30:11–12 ESV

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

The Joy of God will be with us through our Lament

You

Seek God’s joy in times of lament

God will bring us from our lament

The Joy of God will be with us through our Lament

We

This week I was rewatching a show called Everwood. The premise of the show is that the wife of a famous brain surgeon, Dr. Andrew Brown, is suddenly killed in a car accident (spoiler it happens in the first 5 minutes).

One of the episode takes place around a church with a sick pastor. Toward the end of the episode Dr. Brown prays, “I have lost my joy”. Referring to the pain from losing his wife.

Follows by “Please bring my joy back” referring to the wife that he had lost.

Now I take great joy in my family, in Naomi. I cannot imagine losing her and the difficulty and extreme lament. But the source of our joy must not be our family, but in God himself.

The Joy of God will be with us through our Lament