Crying Out!! It’s Raw!

 Read:   Psalm 17:1-6

Suffering, pain, hurt, loss, betrayal.  These are a part of each person’s experience who has ever walked this earth.  It’s universal.  Oh, the details of the story may be different for everyone, but no on escapes this planet without being marred by the deep wounds of sorrow. 

Some pain and hurt we bring on ourselves, through bad decision, mistakes, or downright sinful actions.  Other times our agony is a result of other people’s bad decisions, mistakes or sins.  And the sting is even deeper when those wounds and betrayals come precisely BECAUSE WE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT!

“I don’t understand! 

Lord, where are you? 

I have been trying to follow you faithfully and doing what is right, so why is this happening to me?”

These gut-wrenching words have been the cry of my heart dozens of times throughout my life. And I am sure, you experience them too!

I am not sure where or when I ever got the idea that just because I was doing the “RIGHT THINGS,” my life should be all hunky dory, happy, and things will go along perfectly. 

I think that is why I love the Psalms of David so much.  The treasures I have found in the Psalms have carried me through some of my darkest moments. 

The story begins when David, a young, simple, teenage shepherd boy gets visited by the Prophet Samuel.  Out of all his brothers, David is the one God tells Samuel to anoint as King.  Everything is going to be hunky dory, right?  David would to rise to power and bring peace and justice to the land, right? 

David was probably 10 to 15 years old when he was commissioned as king over Israel and 30 years old when he was anointed as king.  There was the issue of Saul.  Saul was still King, but God had rejected because he was doing what was evil in God’s sight. For 15 to 20 years, Saul relentlessly pursued David, trying to kill him.  Saul’s jealousy and hatred of David never stopped, even when David had opportunities to take Saul’s life, yet David refused to lay a hand on the “Lord’s anointed.” 

During times like this in our own lives, God calls us to lean into Him.  We may not always understand why.  The disciples did not understand why Jesus died, but we know the rest of the story.  We know how He conquered the grave and crushed the enemy under His feet! 

We release our need to know why.  We can cling to Jesus, the one who will one day make all things right. We can cry out “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer,” and know He will hear our prayers!