“O God my rock,” I cry. “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! The psalmist asks the “why?” of the grief-stricken or discouraged, but he asks more than that. He even has reason for his grief-stricken “why.” Life is hard. Too many changes have happened. He longs for the memories of yesterday. He wants a reality of God that will defy the taunts of the enemy.
But within the words that echo the sentiments of his heart is the answer his heart longs for. His answer lies with God, a God who sweeps over him with His love, and His provision. This is the God he yearns for, but He is already there! And within the “why?” that seeks resolution is the “why?” he asks of himself. Why do I hold onto sadness and discouragement? Why do I feel only the tears that stain my face, and why do I hear only the nagging doubts of the enemy? Yes, life is hard, but God has not abandoned him. God is there! The heart that fears needs to be a heart that trusts. Sometimes the two seem incompatible, but I dare to differ.
In the heartaches and difficulties of life, I can find my emotions reeling from a reality I want to escape. I have a choice when my emotions assault. I probably have several choices. I could choose to suppress my emotions, sit on them, and decide that a believer should not be emotionally reactive. I could give in to those emotions, recognizing the limited ability I have to control them, and thereby allow my emotions to govern my responses. I could abandon life completely, shutting myself off from relationships that could help to bring some encouragement or a change in perspective. I mean, why try when life is just too hard??? Why try at relationships or resolution or anything else that could be deemed productive? Or, I could choose to allow my emotions to draw me to my God. That was what the psalmist did. And he found God was already there.
God does not abandon me because my emotions run amuck. How often have you comforted your child when her own little world seemed to have fallen apart? Her frustration poured out tears and her words and body language gave vivid affirmation of her calamity, but your words of gentle assurance and the warmth of your touch softened life for her. How much more loving and caring is our God? And even as I long for His reality, He longs to embrace me with it. Trust His heart and believe His presence. Let your emotions draw you to the lap of your Father-God.
– Bev
(Related Bible reading: Psalm 42:1-11)
