A Lament of Your Child
With my mouth I cry out.
O God my rock, my mighty fortress, in you I trust all day long.
I cling to you my rock in the midst of troubles. Like raging waters my troubles desire to overtake me. When the torrent waters white with foam desire to drown me, I tighten my grip and cling to you all the more.
I hold on for dear life.
To whom else would I turn, you hold all the answers.
You are my savior, my life preserver.
Help me to trust in you in times of trouble.
Daily I say the words of the psalmist in my mind.
They help remind me of the true source of my help.
I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does.
my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe them to be the truth.
Yet I am mortal Lord, and my thoughts can betray me.
I am tired and weary.
My homeland has turned against itself.
Division has entered into many homes. A household’s enemies are kin to one another.
I retreat to my war room to seek direction.
I cry out to you from my quiet place in the house.
Hidden from the sight of others.
My eyes are bloodshot from lack of rest.
I am too busy for sleep, busy presenting requests to you my Rock.
I pray for you to take notice of us and show us your favor.
Slumber can wait, just as I wait for your answers to our prayers.
I desire to see your mighty hand move to our defense and to our rescue.
I know full well you are limitless in power. Nothing can contain you,
By the word of your mouth things came into being.
By your breath, the mountains are leveled.
Have you not seen what is happening.?
A sickness has struck the Earth you created.
From where did it come.?
Terror has struck the hearts of many people and their dreams are filled with panic when they sleep.
Every race, every tribe, every nation suffered many blows from its unyielding siege against them.
I watched in disbelief as I saw temples built to worship you from become empty, void of life. No one dares to enter them, instead they were filled with the caskets of our dead and the tears of those left weeping for them.
They cry out to you because of its torment.
Surely you heard us cry out to you for help. Thousands sleep now from the war it brought.
Its thirst is never quenched.
When will you show mercy.?
When will you draw A-line and say this far you may come and no further.?
I have grown weary in watching the suffering,
it is all around me, suffering that came from its destructive wake.
My own flesh and blood were washed away from my life by this pestilence.
I know you see the tears we spill.
Nothing escapes you, tell us they are not shed in vain.
You see it all, reassure us somehow.
When I look around, I see a weary people.
Their hope has worn out.
My companions are full of grief.
They are the ones I worship with in your sanctuary.
Your very own sons and daughters my brothers and sisters in Christ are full of sorrows.
Anxieties and worries consume many souls.
In response we cry out for them in prayer to you.
Another house suffers a great loss, and they are now orphans without their parents.
My sister’s tears for her daughter drown me with grief.
Again, and again, they suffer loss.
Some of which are too much to bear.
Senseless violent acts of rage break out in our
streets where peace should reside.
The city is taken siege before our eyes.
It is as though a new wickedness has overtaken people’s hearts.
I am sure It has been around a long time, but it is new to me. it is new to many of us.
I have not witnessed this with my eyes before.
The musician’s words ring in my mind,
“and in despair I bow my head, there is no peace on Earth I said.”
My eyes swelled with tears and my heart with sadness as they were sung.
When will you usher in your rest.?
Is your peace hidden in us that we should know what to do?
Did not our best efforts bring us to here.?
Show us how to share this burden so that the overwhelmed may be able to stand up under its load.
We cry out Abba bring your peace.
Sickness devours our people,
Their bodies are consumed by disease.
Including mine. For my bones hurt from the lack of cushion as I waste away.
Night after night we lift praises to you.
We place before you the desires of our hearts and the afflictions that we bear asking for your intervention as we should.
You are the Almighty.
We are clay.
Perhaps I have spoken too much.
Please do not chastise your son for speaking his heart.
When will you bring relief?
When will you renew our strength.?
Your word says day-by-day.
Help me to believe in this, do not let me waver.
Renew the strength of my pastors who pour out their souls in fervent prayers to you day-and-night for the people under their watch.
Do not withhold your spirit from them.
Fill us your temples with your Holy Spirit,
That we may be a blessing to those around us.
Do not be slow to bring your comfort.
For we are weary.
Revive us from our tiredness.
Usher in your kingdom Lord Jesus.
Be quick to renew our spirits.
Going Deeper
Look up and reflect upon Psalm 74 and read this lament again.
Does this lament strike a chord with you? What are the key phases which did so for you?
Now using these “pangs” write your own lament, God is always listening.
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