Read Psalm 38 – Lament, it’s a rather pretty word, the way it sits on my tongue feels peaceful, though it’s not a peaceful word by definition. It means complaint and can come off as whinny. David is in a pickle and he is lamenting to God throughout Psalm 38.
David knows his troubles and sickness are filtered by God, and to Him he makes his appeal. “Oh LORD, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you… But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is for you, O Lord my God, who will answer. ” :9,15
As with most calamity, David is partly responsible for which he confesses, “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. ” :18
Beloved, my question is, where do you see yourself in this? How do you handle trials, persecution, sickness and your own sin before our Holy God? The relationship is everything. Do you turn towards Jesus or away when you are in tough times? Have you considered He may be trying to get your attention?
In the New Testament we are reminded to cast all anxieties on Jesus because he cares for us (see 1 Peter 5). That’s a beautiful request, right? Why hang onto these burdens and laments when Jesus is there and listening with open arms.
Psalm 38
Judy in the Sky 
In one of my darkest seasons of life, I felt so betrayed by God that I stopped praying for about a year – I was angry at God. However, I still wanted to hear what he had to say, so I systematically read through the Bible that year, which along with regular church engagement, helped me to heal so that I once more could pray. Ironically, now I blog about learning to pray from the Bible. When another dark season (the death of a son) occurred, the prior experience and my reading of biblical prayers trained me to keep praying, incorporating more laments because they were the perspective I wanted God to hear. I think that some people are afraid to pray laments, even though such prayers are scattered throughout the Psalms and other parts of the Bible.
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