Good afternoon, Friendship family!
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with around 30 of you Sunday morning, even though we were keeping our distance! I understand several of you joined in with the Livestream as well. We're continuing to work on the audio as I know many of you experienced an annoying echo that made it sound like we were speaking in tongues!
When I woke up this morning and looked out of the window, I couldn't get Karen Carpenter's plaintive alto out of my head because, "Rainy Days and Mondays" often, but not always, get me down. Surely, we're more susceptible to sing the blues as these days of uncertainty extend indefinitely. Thankfully, our Lord has songs for us to sing during times such as these! The Psalms of Lament. In fact, according to scholars, between 1/3 and 1/2 of the Psalms fall into this category. That means when we sing the blues, we're in good company!
Simply put, a lament is a complaint that we raise to the Lord in our times of trouble. Sometimes (often), these are self-inflicted, like times when we sin against the Lord. We find examples like this in Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143. Other times, the complaint or lament arises when the Psalmist is persecuted or under attack by enemies (Psalm 3, 4, 12, 13). Probably the most famous is Psalm 22, Jesus' lament from the cross: "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He also refers to Psalm 69:21 when He cries out, "I thirst" in the throes of His sufferings.
Isn't it of exceptional comfort to know that Jesus also knew the language of lament, that He, too, "sang the blues?" He truly is a merciful and sympathetic High Priest (Heb. 2:17). He understands all of our human weaknesses and temptations!
What I find extremely encouraging is that all but one (Ps. 88) of these laments ends on a note of confidence! Even Psalm 22 that describes in excruciating detail the sufferings of Christ, ends with a victorious proclamation of His ultimate victory: "For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 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; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that He has done it!" (Ps. 22:28-31).
Here's one of the shorter Psalms of Lament you can use on this rainy Monday or any day to "sing the blues," Psalm 13:
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Look what happens when David trusts in the steadfast, covenant love of His Father. The Lord turns his blues into praise! May He do so for you on all of your "Rainy Days and Mondays!"
I'm praying for you,
Robert