Don’t be surprised that you will suffer C you live in an imperfect world. When trouble or disaster hits a large body of believers, the appropriate response is to bring a corporate lament to God whether during the main weekly service of a church or a special service. If worship is all about celebration and praising the Lord for all the good things he has done, how can I approach him in my grief and pain? So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. Is there one thing you can choose to be grateful for? 1. 14) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) 1 Peter 3:13-15 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. . Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. When you read Psalms, you can find so many verses about God’s children singing praise even in the midst of hard times. All this will enable you, in a special way, to be able to minister to others. Services of lament are particularly needful when it becomes impossible to take part in a service of praise that contradicts personal and corporate feelings and experience. God’s perceived failure to help prompts them to ask the questions “Why?” and “How long?” “Why, O Lord, do you stand afar off? [7] Roland Murphy, “The Psalms and Worship,” Ex Auditu 8 (1992): 25. [3] Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms, 53. He is always present to hear. And even though we may not receive a speedy answer to our questions, the fact that we address God as the one who hears and will answer indicates that the light of faith has already begun to penetrate the clouds of despair. In fact, I was surprised to find out how much the Bible actually says about how much Christians suffer, and why God uses it and how we’re supposed to react to it. By responding to trials in the grace of God, you will experience the power of Gods Spirit, which will be manifested in your life through the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. Ps 22:1). American King James Version ×, Psalms 57:9 Psalms 57:9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the people: I will sing to you among the nations. God has given us everything we need in Christ Jesus. Give the glory to God and praise his power and faithfulness. A woman who cries, “How long, O Lord?” as she agonizes over an abusive relationship may not be instantly freed from her assailant. How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Ps 13:1–2). 2 Timothy 1:7-13 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. These sober realities require somber reflection. Those of you who are hard-hearted and never cry, God teaches you to cry through pain. If you’ve ever read the Book of Psalms, you know that these ancient prayers of praise (and sometimes even anger or despair) resonate on a deep level even today. At such times, bringing heartache and confusion to God may be the only thing that makes worship possible. ~ Warren Wiersbe You can find God in the hard times by choosing to trust and hope when we can’t see the way. When trouble and grief continue without end, it is imperative that one confesses his feelings of abandonment and unease to God and then expresses his trust that, despite his circumstances or feelings, God will surely intervene (Ps 13:5–6). Psalm 42:9-11 2. His son Cain, after killing his brother Abel, was driven from the land and forced to wander from place to place as the ground refused to yield its crops to him. Even so, our desire to experience the joy of Christ’s birth and resurrection should not deprive us of time to consider the wonder of the incarnation that brought on our Savior’s suffering. Get the Lyrics 1 Peter 4:19 The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. Many of the writing prophets were caught up in the sin of their people to the extent that they were carried off into exile, or, in the case of Jeremiah, to Egypt. Thank You for His wonderful example of learning obedience by the things that He suffered and for dying on the cross for the sins of the world, and for my sins too. No matter what circumstances prompted their composition, these psalms acknowledge that life can be most troublesome and that the affairs of life often make it difficult if not impossible for God’s people to express joy and sing his praises. 2 Timothy 2:8-10 Suffering can lead a person into Christian ministry. It is our way of entreating him for mercy in times of difficulty. Learned in public worship, these words from the Bible can be taken home so that a person can address God again when praying for oneself or someone else. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. They express their experience that God has rejected (Pss 43:2; 44:9), abandoned (Lam 2:7), or forgotten (Ps 42:9) them. 1 Peter 2:19-21 The place of lament in the Psalter indicates that God is interested in pain as much as he is in joy. The Bible nowhere disguises the reality that life can be difficult. You may not have the strength to raise your hands. As the Old Testament saints remembered God’s past salvation while awaiting deliverance from their times of trouble, those who celebrate Christmas and Easter remember what God accomplished by sending Jesus as they await the second coming when Christ will fully establish his kingdom, judge the world of sin, and allow us to experience the resurrection life for ourselves. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. https://omf.org/blog/2019/03/26/worshipping-god-through-suffering So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (See Romans 8:29.) 1 Peter 1:6-7 – “Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” It is therefore essential that we never consider lament psalms to be magical formulas that ensure praise will immediately fill the lives of those who pray them. One reason he does this is so that we can comfort others who are in affliction with the comfort by which we were comforted by God. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. [11] But as the form of biblical lament indicates, those in trouble need to be steered in the direction of hope. Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” (Ps 74:1). This common reaction is deceptive, as it downplays our personal experience of pain and contradicts the biblical testimony of how the saints of old and the Christ responded to their troubles. It is our means of reassessing our situation in light of God’s power and grace. 1. Or is he punishing the lamenter for some reason? This situation is unacceptable because it marginalizes suffering and those who suffer and because it ignores a great body of biblical material that was written to help people through difficult times. The above passages leave little doubt that suffering for the sake of Jesus is an inevitable part of being a Christian, and listening to Charles Stanley’s message, He Uses Our Suffering, will really help us understand God’s purpose for our suffering and how we need to respond to it by putting our hope and faith in His word as we trust and praise Him…no matter what! [8] Though commonly divided into individual psalms of lament and corporate psalms of lament, there is an additional distinction between them, as some locate the source of difficulty in one’s circumstances and seek God’s deliverance while others identify God as the one who brings the trouble and entreat him to withhold his hand. In this they contrast greatly from laments found in the historical books of the Bible that expressly state the circumstances in which they were uttered (e.g., Josh 7:7–9; Judg 21:3). If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” ~ 1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV When I was able to separate others empty insights and God’s truth, I was able to look more deeply into my own faith and how I chose to praise God through the suffering. The Bible answers that questions for us: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. As Jesus told his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). 1 Peter 1:6-7 As this cycle of feasts developed in early church history, two penitential seasons—Advent and Lent—took prominent place. )Praise God that He is love (I John 4:7-8), and that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you know what love looks like (I John 3:16). [5] Moberly states, Such predominance of laments at the very heart of Israel’s prayers means that the problems that give rise to lament are not something marginal or unusual but rather are central to the life of faith…. Even more, we should be encouraged that even as God has helped people in the past he will help us now. [13] Although the early church often reserved these psalms for those who were sick or dying, they quickly became an integral part of personal piety of those seeking deliverance from sin and guilt. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! How long will you hide your face from me? Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Suffering can teach us firsthand that God truly is sufficient. The use of lament in worship need not be reserved for exceptional times of tragedy. Suffering can make us grateful for what we had or still have. Far from being limited to singing songs of praise, worship takes hold of all of life as we live it out in humble service before God. So let’s spend some time together praying the Scriptures, offering the Lord a prayer of praise!. And that is exactly what John said he wants to be. It thus provides models and materials to be used by those who grieve or otherwise experience trouble. )Praise God that He is love (I John 4:7-8), and that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you know what love looks like (I John 3:16). Posted "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Although the Hebrew words are immediately associated with the actions of lament, the composition is more important for our purposes as we study the biblical texts. Though most Christian worship is bereft of lamentation, we would benefit from its rediscovery. Multiple times a day. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. Even so, simply praying a psalm of lament does not ensure an instant solution to all problems so that God’s people will only experience praise. Suffering can position our lives to bring more glory to God. You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. When we don’t murmur in our lives when hard things come, we are like lights shining. God can use suffering to display his work in you. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. Amen. Acts 5:41 Oh no . Broyles, “Lament,” 389. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”. In recognition that life is not always joyful, it allows us to live through the difficult times in God’s presence. Mark 5 When You Feel Surrounded, Fight Your Battles with Praise. [3] Or it may spring from a misplaced conviction that followers of Jesus should experience no problems in life. [4] The psalmists experienced all the seasons of life. The Bible offers much guidance in lifting prayers of praise to God. The fault is not the Lord’s, but our own. In this life, we might never really understand why some things have happened. Reaching beyond the individual, when a church, a nation, or the world is facing a crisis of some sort, services of lament are in order. What is true for the Old Covenant community is equally true for the church. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. The magnificence of his worship is because it was in grief, not because it replaced grief. I pray that even during my suffering I will bare fruit for you. Thankfully the Bible not only alerts us that we can worship in times of pain, it also helps us along the way by telling stories of people who called out to God in their need and preserving literary forms designed to be used by those bringing laments to God. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 1. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Oftentimes, God allows you to go through something not because you’ve done something wrong, but because when you come out on the other side, your story will hold the key to help someone else. “O God, why do you cast us off forever? God does not always offer us answers. Suffering, in some form, affects us all, causing us to cry out in pain or scream that life is unfair. 2 Timothy 3:10-15 Why would God place such an emphasis on lament in the Bible? If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. [14] Shevuot 15b; Rambam, Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 11:12. And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God. Walter McConnell directs OMF International’s Mission Research Department. God will fight for you, when you place your full trust in him. He will also punish the wicked—all those who reject Him—and save the humble. An American, he has previously served in Taiwan as a church planter and theological educator, taught Old Testament at Singapore Bible College where he also directed the Ichthus Centre for Biblical and Theological Research, and served as pastor at the Belfast Chinese Christian Church. Though you may have read the psalms in the midst of other trials in the past, perhaps it’s time for a fresh look at how they can serve as a source of hope and comfort for illness. Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you downcast, O my soul? In the beginning Adam’s sin forced him from the blissful garden to face an existence of painful, sweaty toil in order to have food to eat. The New Testament testifies that Jesus, his apostles, and the early church faced major opposition and persecution. God Wants To Give Us So Much More Than A “Quick Fix”, Trusting And Praising God In The Midst Of Suffering. praising God no matter what. You question, “Are you really listening, God?” That’s ok, friend. And let the rest of us weep with those who weep. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? To help us find our way to worship God in the midst of suffering, loss, and disappointment, this paper addresses biblical teaching about the nature and use of lament, particularly in the psalms of lament. They also show that our understanding of worship is often inadequate. Craig C. Broyles, “Lament, Psalms of,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings, Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, eds. Rom 9:2). Job 36:15-16 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Like Habakkuk, I’ve said, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Read on for some praise & worship tips, quotes, motivation & Bible verses that will help you understand how to worship God in spirit and in truth, even when it hurts. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. They begin to question God and even become mad at Him. You know these. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 3. One should be careful in the use of these psalms as some of them relate illness to personal sin. As the seasons of Advent and Lent are designed to give us time to consider these themes, we should avail ourselves of this opportunity. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations” (1 Corinthians 10:13, Contemporary English Version). Copyright © 2005-2021 Faith And Marriage Ministries. They begin to question God and even become mad at Him. 1:12). I pray that I will glorify you in all I say and do. Unless you accept God’s grace to deal with suffering, inevitably you will become bitter. In other cases, Christians can be singled out for direct attack by governments or other members of society. Goals after graduation remained pretty much the same. The same can be said with regard to war and social disorder. When Christ’s disciples asked whose sin lay behind a man born blind, Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned” (John 9:3). Nothing happens to us without first passing through God (‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:37‬). Such a psalm should be used in a case where sin is present but perhaps exchanged for another when sin is not an issue. Not only do they provide the suffering with words to express their feelings and fears to God in faith, they also point them to the hope that God will hear their prayer, intervene for them, and give them reason to praise his name again. Approach the throne of grace every day. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 As you give yourself to God, he will help you through this hard time you are in now. Although the words used in these prayers are often taken from the New Testament, they reflect themes that reverberate throughout the psalms but are most closely related to the seven psalms of penitence which have been recognized from the early Christian centuries—Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; and 143. The future glory that will be destroyed, but our own confession and absolution this allows modern to. 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