Dr Paul Allen

His soul was in such turmoil he could not sleep . So confused and disturbed were his emotions (and the questions that fueled them), he couldn’t capture them all in words. He wasn’t experiencing a generalized, undefined depression. He mentioned no specific enemy threatening his life. The person he was in anguish over was God. When Asaph penned Psalm 77, he was experiencing a crisis of faith. I cry aloud to God,      aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;      in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;      my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan;      when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah You hold my eyelids open;      I am so troubled that I cannot speak. (Psalm 77:1–4) Why was Asaph so troubled? Because from his perspective it appeared God had decided to abandon his promises to Israel. And if God doesn’t keep his word, those who trust in...

Our loved ones will pass away at some point in time. We visit hospitals and cry. We pray and commit them to God . We bury loved ones - cry and lament. The Psalms of Lament Dictionaries define the word lament as "feeling or expressing sorrow or grief." It's not a word we use much these days. In fact, lamenting is an art that we don't often practice in Western culture . Rather than express our emotions, we tend to hide them, distract ourselves from feeling them, or even pretend they don't exist. When difficult circumstances cut into our lives, we are likely to seek out false saviors to rescue us. We bury ourselves in work, entertainment, or a pint of ice cream. We might even take things into our own hands and attempt to control our circumstances. We'll do anything but face the pain and heartache we feel. Yet, Scripture is filled with lament. Habakkuk lamented the coming judgment on Israel . The book of Lamentations is one long lament. Our Savior crie...