A God We Can Be Honest With (Part II)
Last week, we discussed how the truthful and unchanging character of God enables us to be honest with Him. We also touched on how the Bible allows God to be honest with us and makes room for us to be honest with ourselves. God is perfectly trustworthy and dependable, so His children can be assured they are perfectly safe to be vulnerable with Him.
Now, sometimes things happen in life where we question the presence and the goodness of God. In the midst of adversity, heartbreak, suffering, or unexpected loss, it can feel like God is absent.
David felt this way, too. Before he sat on the throne, he was threatened with death, hunted by the king he was loyal to and once called his friend. Later, his own son Absalom tried to usurp his throne and sought to take his life. David experienced the tragic loss of his best friend Jonathan, and also grieved the death of his newborn child which resulted from his affair with Bathsheba.
It is speculated by historians and Bible scholars that David may have suffered from depression, an affliction that many of us have experienced or continue to contend with. Many of his Psalms reflect feelings of abandonment, hopelessness, isolation, and deep sorrow.
Yet though his life was filled with struggle and anguish, David reminded himself that God had not really abandoned him, and it was to the Lord that he could take all his raw emotions. Because he allowed himself to be vulnerable with God, we see that David’s life was also filled with joy, and peace.
In nearly every Psalm that David cried out to the Lord in despair, we see a resilient spiritual counterattack, proclaiming the faithfulness, goodness, and might of the Lord our God.
Here are a few examples, with some words bolded for emphasis:
“O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying ‘God will never rescue him!’” - Psalm 3:1-2
“But You, O Lord, are a shield around me; You are my glory, the One who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain.” - Psalm 3:3-4
“Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until You restore me? […] I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.” - Psalm 6:2-3, 6-7
“Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.” - Psalm 6:8-9
“O Lord, why do You stand so far away? Why do You hide when I am in trouble?” - Psalm 10:1
“Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” - Psalm 10:17-18
“O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever? How long will You look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?” - Psalm 13:1-2
“But I trust in Your unfailing love. I will rejoice because You have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.” - Psalm 13:5-6
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged.” - Psalm 25:16
“The Lord is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep His covenant and obey His demands.” - Psalm 25:8-10
“My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.” - Psalm 55:4-5
“But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me…” - Psalm 55:16-18
“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” - Psalm 55:22
David didn’t pour his heart out the Lord with the end goal of simply venting or complaining. He prayed for help, and reminded himself of who God was, and how God had answered and delivered him in the past. Since David knew the Lord was reliable, steadfast, and trustworthy, he knew he could rely on Him to reply and come through time and time again.
We are encouraged to do the same. Ephesians 4:6-7 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
When we realize that we can depend on the Lord to come through for us, when we remember that God has never failed (and never will), then we experience a supernatural peace. Whatever life throws at us, through all of our highs and lows, we can depend on the steadfast love, truth, and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ to sustain or deliver us.
The Lord is unchanging. If He came through for David, He will come through for you. If He did it once, He will do it again. Beloved friend, be honest with God. Tell Him everything - then believe that He will come through for you.
Let’s pray together.Lord Jesus, thank You for Your unchanging, steadfast love. You are the way, the truth, and the life. When life is hard and we are in the midst of suffering or heartache, help us be vulnerable with You, and to come to You honestly with our pain like David did. And like David reminded himself, remind us that You have come through before, so You will surely come through again. Sustain us in our trials, Lord, and let us be convinced of Your near and constant presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
