Honest Lamenting

Psalms 88:3 For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. NASB

For sure, take a moment to read all 18 verses of Psalm 88 but take note of the brutal honesty of the psalmist. “My soul has had enough troubles.”

I’ve struggled, maybe wondered, if I can talk to the Lord like this for a long time. I’ve picked up the church words (and that certainly can be a good thing) that is overly guarded and lacking full honesty.

The psalm doesn’t end with any resolution. As far as we know, it may not have come. But I think this psalm teaches us to speak very openly to the Lord about our pain.

I get the reverence. I understand being careful with our words. I find myself saying something in prayer then trying to explain why I said it that way.

At the end of the day, if we are in Christ then God is our Father, a real person, who really loves us. Pray honestly. He can handle it.