“[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers.” Lamentations 3:4-6, 8 (NLT)
We all go through times when our lives seem to be falling apart. We lose our job. A relationship falls apart. Someone dies. Our health takes a turn for the worse.
In those times, we’re tempted to think God has abandoned us.
But he hasn’t.
The ancient prophet Jeremiah was in the same boat when he wrote the book of Lamentations. His country, Judah, had endured an economic tailspin and was terrorized by a foreign enemy. He had witnessed incredibly inhumane acts committed against Judah. People were out of work and starving to death.
Where did Jeremiah start? He told God how he felt: “[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers” (Lamentations 3:4-6, 8 NLT).
Does it surprise you that these words are in the Bible? Jeremiah—like some people today—felt God had forgotten him. But Jeremiah didn’t ignore what he was feeling. He didn’t sugarcoat the situation. He told God what was on his heart. In fact, Jeremiah spent five chapters telling God what he thought about the situation. He told God, “This stinks!”
Why would God put that kind of passage in the Bible? He wants you to know that he can handle your anger, your gripes, and your grief. Jeremiah spent an entire book of the Bible blowing off steam. If God is big enough to handle Jeremiah’s pain, he’s big enough to handle yours too.
If you swallow your emotions, you just hurt yourself. Your stomach will keep score!
Instead, unload your emotions on God.
When my kids were little, they’d throw temper tantrums. Their temper tantrums didn’t make me love them any less. They didn’t make me doubt my decisions. They didn’t make me feel like less of a father.
They reminded me that my kids were immature. They didn’t know what I knew.
God doesn’t love you any less when you throw a temper tantrum. He doesn’t owe you an explanation. But he is never afraid of what you have to say.
So tell him. It’ll be the beginning of healing.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What is going on in your life that you’ve been afraid to talk to God about?
Why is it sometimes difficult to be honest with God about your struggles?
Try writing a letter to God about your struggles. You may find it easier to express your emotions through writing rather than speaking them out loud.
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
When life falls apart, you don’t have to hold in your emotions. You can be honest with God about how you feel. Find out why in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
How to Get Through What You’re Going Through – 2023, God’s Love, Healing, Hurt, Pain, Loss, Emotions, Prayer, Lamentations 3
Broadcast Series: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through – 2023
Sermon Series: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through (2013)
Sermon: 025002_When Your World Collapses
