Day 209

2 Chronicles 21:1–23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 20:7

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

If this ancient prayer resonates profoundly, then take heart. You’re not the only one. David was a king, and even kings feel the weight of depression at times.

David was a skilled musician and poet, and we see that he often turned to music to express and release what he was feeling. Psalm 22 doesn’t tie things off with a pretty bow. It simply captures the raw emotion of what was happening in David’s heart and mind.

When we’re facing particularly trying times, we often attempt to cover them with hopeful Scriptures, comfort food, or television —anything that will distract us from what is really happening inside us. David chose to use music to articulate how he was feeling. There is amazing power in this. When we can name something, we can see it clearly because it is forced into the light. When we cover things in distraction, our struggles simply accumulate within us until we can no longer identify them. They turn into a big ball of anxiety that sits inside us, churning over and over and leading us further into the fog.

Write down what is heavy in your life. If you’re a musician, perhaps use music. Name these things for what they are, and don’t be afraid to be honest —David wasn’t, and the Bible isn’t.

David sang, “You brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me” (Psalm 22:9-11).

It doesn’t get more honest than that, and this is simply a quotation from the Bible.

If you’re facing difficulties, get honest about it. Identify what is truly happening. See it for what it is, and bring it to God —as David modeled in today’s psalm. Believe it or not, God wants your honesty a lot more than your distractions. The distractions do not fix anything; they only defer it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and helpless, then name those feelings. Turn them into worship as David did. Worship isn’t only for high times or to whip ourselves into a victory chant. It is for the lowest of low times, when only God understands. You will find God in your honesty. And you may find profound relief in confessing what is really going on in your heart.

MEDITATION:

Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.