We just ended our Colossians series which included Christ the Source, Christ the Wisdom, Christ the Peace and Christ the Door. From this weekend through Christmas we are in the Psalms, God’s song book. The Psalms are poems written by God’s people. We don’t primarily read them for doctrine though they are full of that. We don’t go to them for history, though that is there also. We go to them to find words that describe what we are experiencing.
It’s like reading a faithful person’s journal. They are pouring out their heart to God. A faithful person is not a stoic who stuffs their feelings down. I was having a conversation this week in which the individual, not in our congregation, said, “When I’m hurt, I just go off on my own to heal.” That is not healthy. Christians are not alone in their suffering. We first go to God and share what is bothering us. There are Psalms that poetically document feelings of anger, grief, discouragement, guilt, pain, doubt and hopelessness. There are also psalms of peace, healing, encouragement, freedom, relief, assurance and hope. Whatever you are feeling, other faithful people have been there. It’s helpful to know that the greatest heroes of the faith have felt what we feel.
Many of the Psalms were written by David. He is described as “A man after God’s own heart.” How can that be when we know that he was a conniving, lustful murderer? When David saw his sin, he went to God and opened up his heart. He was vulnerable to his heavenly Father. He shared his pain and God listened. Faithfulness does not mean we are always perfect, it means that we are connected to God. What are you feeling today? Whatever it is, do not be afraid to share it with Jesus. He’s waiting to hear all about it.
