“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.” (v1-7)
This lament from David shows how difficult it was for him to deal with his intense emotions around a difficult circumstance. There is another passage in scripture that shares a very similar tone:
” ‘I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones… I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens… Lord, come to my aid! But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.’ ” (Isa 38:13-15,17-18 abr)
That passage in Isaiah is the lament/psalm of King Hezekiah who was prophesied to die, and became deathly ill. He then repented to God and was restored to full health. Both of these men have very similar thoughts and emotions around these near-death experiences (one figurative, one literal, both just as real).
There’s one more passage I’d like to share: ” ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Lk 22:42-44) Jesus too experienced this powerful anguish of the soul.
If Jesus, David and King Hezekiah all experienced anguish (defined as “severe mental or physical pain or suffering” or “extreme distress”), then it’s okay for us to have our moments of distress as well. I heard a teaching yesterday on how our emotional and intellectual well-being are part of our soul. Our soul is designed by God to have needs, including relationship, and those needs have to be met by God. Jesus, David and Hezekiah are all crying out to God in their distress – they are doing the right thing, taking the necessary steps to quell their suffering in the loving arms of their Father.
My prayer for today is that I continue building my relationship with God, so when those times of distress come (they have come in the past and will come again), I am naturally inclined to seek God. Of course God can be sought in numerous ways – a spiritual mentor, a Christian counselor, a pastor, trusted brother/sister in Christ – but we can’t forget that we also need to seek God through prayer, just as these men are modeling.
No matter what our circumstances are, no matter if we are on a hill or in a valley, we have God’s ear at all times. Be blessed in His presence today, and know that even if nobody else is listening, God is, and He loves you deeply. Please also know that if you ever want to talk, I’m listening as well. May you go in that peace.
~ Conqueror in Training