Life can be hard. Daily difficulties cause anxiety. Loss leads to grief. People who do evil seem to triumph. And worst of all, it can feel like God is nowhere to be found. This may be hard to admit, but denial does not fill the vacuum.
If you have experienced such distress, you are not alone. Many of the psalms express a range of negative emotions: fear, anger, doubt, and more. Some could even be categorized as suicidal ideation. One of David’s psalms succinctly encapsulates these feelings:
How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long am I to feel anxious in my soul,
With grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
(Psalm 13:1-4, NASB)
Note the honesty here. David makes no attempt to hide his raw emotions. He does not sugarcoat them, as if God would be offended with what He already knows David is feeling. David lays out his complaints, his despair, and his desperation. There’s no prologue of I know I shouldn’t feel this way.
It is a natural part of our fallen state to hide from God. We want to cover our nakedness as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. When God comes to us and asks, “Where are you?” we reflexively hide our true thoughts and feelings. But God knows. He asks where we are not because He doesn’t know, but so that we can stop and admit our true condition. The restoration of fellowship with Him begins with honesty.
The reality is that we do feel these things. The loss of a loved one cuts deep. The uncertainty of this world leaves us anxious. Evil people do evil things and we can feel the impact. Our health fails. Nature rages. Wars spread. The list goes on.
The question is not whether difficulties will arise. They will. The question is what we do with them.
David continues:
But I have trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has looked after me.
(Psalm 13:4-6)
One simple word changes the trajectory of our emotions: but. It doesn’t deny what’s wrong in the world or in our soul. It simply redirects the focus. It says, Everything is falling apart, but I trust a faithful God. It says, Though my life should be taken, I will live eternally. It says (my favorite part), No matter how bad things get, I will raise a defiant voice and praise my God. And it says, Whatever comes my way, I know God will take care of me.
This is the turning point.
Everything before the word but may be real. However, everything that follows determines the control these realities will have over our ultimate reality. So cast your cares on Jesus. Be honest with your concerns, challenges, and pain. Then stand on the promises in His word and they will anchor your soul through every situation.
