FROM COMPLAINING TO PRAISE
Rev. Joey Crisostomo
Director for Central Operations
May 23, 2010
Key Scripture
Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
A Brief Introduction
Different Kinds of Psalms
> Hallelujah – These are psalms of praise, beginning and/or ending with “hallelujah” or “praise ( Ps. 103).
> Historical – Psalms which review the history of God’s dealings with His people (Ps. 106).
> Ethical – These psalms teach moral principles (Ps. 15).
> Messianic – Psalms pertaining to the coming Messiah (Ps. 2, 110).
> Penitential – These are psalms expressing sorrow for sins that have been committed ( Ps. 51).
> Imprecatory – These psalms invoke God to bring punishment or judgment upon one’s enemies ( Ps. 69).
> Songs Of Ascent – These psalms were possibly sung by pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem to observe the feasts. They are grouped together as Ps. 120-134.
> Thanksgiving – Psalms of grateful praise to Jehovah for blessings received (Ps.100).
> Lament – These psalms are cries of those suffering affliction
Someone Once said…
– The function of a Lament is to provide a structure for crisis, hurt, grief, or despair; to move a worshipper from hurt to joy, from darkness to light, from desperation to hope. This movement from hurt to joy is not a psychological or liturgical experience only, although it includes those. Dennis Bratcher
– Psalms of lament are part of the inspired Word of Almighty God. They have been placed there by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, deliberately, thereby giving us permission to lament.
Complaint to God… 1 How long, O Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long shall I carry pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy triumph over me?
– David openly asks questions of God.
– Four times, the anguished question is: “How long O Lord?”
– The Nature of the complain
> He feels forgotten by God.
> He feels like God has hidden His face from him.
> He is wrestling with painful, sorrowful thoughts.
> His enemy has the upper hand over him.
– Can we really say this to God?
The ability to completely bare our heart is the most sincere form of prayer we must lay before God what is in us, not what is not in us. ~ C.S. Lewis
– Our laments are a response to the pain of life
Petition of God… 3 turn and answer me, o Lord, my God! restore the sparkle to my eyes or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
– Explicit plea for help
– As our hearts become honest before God, only then can we bring an honest petition to God
– His petition reflects the condition of his heart,
– He presented two reasons why God should do something about the problem.
> In verse 3, the psalmist pled with God to intervene so that he would not die.
> In verse 4, the psalmist pled with God to intervene so that God’s enemies would not be able to rejoice.
Praise for God… 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
– There’s a final movement in David’s lament: David returns to trust in the midst of trouble.
– Nothing had changed, except David’s perspective that God had not forgotten him.
– Things get better when you share your problems with God
– The psalmist comes to a point of praise in the midst of desperation
> He trusts in God’s loyal love… but I trust in Your unfailing love
> He resolves to REJOICE despite the uncertainties, pain and confusion… I will rejoice
> He resolves to SING despite the uncertainties, pain and confusion… I will sing to the Lord
> He sings because God is always good… because He is good to me
LESSONS FOR US TODAY
1. If you are hurting, scared, hopeless, alone, doubting… stop trying to hide it from God. Be honest before God.
2. Open your heart to the joy that God offers so that we, too, can say that it is well with our souls.
3. You find solutions when you share your problems with God.
4. Some of your greatest blessings come with patience. Align with His timing and rest on the promises of His Word.
5. Hold on even in the face of discouragement and temptation to give up, and look ahead to the day when God brings resolution.