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God Can Handle Your Anguish

05 Wednesday Jun 2024

Posted by in Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365

Reading: Psalm 6
For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
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.
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame (NIV). *

tears on face of crop anonymous woman

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Reflection
The life of a God-follower isn’t all happy days and sunny skies, as some preachers might have you believe. On the contrary, hard times and grief may frequent our way. Does that mean we are out of the will of God? Has God abandoned us during these times of inner turmoil, struggle, and hardship?

Judging by the life and experience of David as expressed through the psalms, the answer is a resounding, “No.” God has not abandoned you.

David met with God during these times of difficulty. He poured out his complaint before the LORD. He pleaded with God; he held nothing back. Look at some of the keywords in this psalm: agony, anguish, groaning, weeping, tears, and sorrow. David experienced all these emotions. He didn’t bottle them up. He poured them out before the LORD in prayer.

Many believers suffer from a form of spiritual constipation. They are filled with anger, hurt and bitter disappointment. Life has been hard, but they are afraid to take their anguish before God. They put on a brave face for the world and the church, but inwardly they are dying. They need a massive dose of the Psalms of David—psalms of self-emptying—pouring out their heart.

Fear not; God can handle your anguish and anger. He won’t smite you dead for being honest about your feelings. Here is some sound advice. Are you hurt or feeling broken? Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then take heart from what David says in the conclusion to this psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.“

Response: Dear God, I pour out my problems, hurts and struggles before you. Hear my prayer. I know you are a God of mercy. I open myself to you. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you bottling up things that should be released to the Lord? Does heartfelt prayer bring relief?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

You Have Answered My Prayers

26 Friday Mar 2021

Posted by in Psalm 116

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Today’s quote and prayer from the Psalms
Psalm 116_8-9
Father God,
I love you LORD, for you heard my voice.
Over and over
you have answered my prayers.
You are a very merciful God.
Amen.

The first volume of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is now available. For a closer look at this 262-page daily devotional book click here.

Delivered from Death

21 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Psalm 116, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

sunset beach people sunrise

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the LORD has been good to you.

For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
    in the land of the living.

(Psalm 116:7-9, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

The first volume of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is now available. For a closer look at this 262-page daily devotional book click here.

Spiritual Constipation

17 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Devotions, Psalm 6, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 6
For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
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.
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame (NIV).*

img_20190616_0926419

Foster’s driveway — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
The life of a God-follower isn’t all happy days and sunny skies, as some preachers might have you believe. On the contrary, hard times and grief may frequent our way. Does that mean we are out of the will of God? Has God abandoned us during these times of inner turmoil, struggle and hardship?

Judging by the life and experience of David as expressed through the psalms, the answer is a resounding, “No.” God has not abandoned you.

David met with God during these times of difficulty. He poured out his complaint before the LORD. He pleaded with God; he held nothing back. Take a look at some of the keywords in this psalm: agony, anguish, groaning, weeping, tears, and sorrow. David experienced all these emotions. He didn’t bottle them up. He poured them out before the LORD in prayer.

Many believers suffer from a form of spiritual constipation. They are filled with anger, hurt and bitter disappointment. Life has been hard, but they are afraid to take their anguish before God. They put on a brave face for the world and the church, but inwardly they are dying. They need a massive dose of the Psalms of David—psalms of self-emptying.

Fear not; God can handle your anguish and anger. He won’t smite you dead for being honest about your feelings. Here is some sound advice. Are you hurt or feeling broken? Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then take heart from what David says in the conclusion to this psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer (v. 9).“

Response: Dear God, I pour out my problems, hurts and struggles before you. Hear my prayer. I know you are a God of mercy. I open myself to you. Amen.

Your Turn: Do some Christians suffer from spiritual constipation? Does heartfelt prayer bring relief? Are you bottling up things that should be released to the Lord?

*New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.

This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.

 

Return to Rest

10 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 116, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

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I will praise Him!

Island - Liz Kranz

Sheet ice on Round Lake, ON — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the LORD has been good to you.

For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
    in the land of the living.

(Psalm 116:7-9, NIV)

Praising the Trusted Word

13 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 56, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 56

 (Verses 8-13)
Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll—
are they not in your record?
Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life (NIV).

Reflection
Psalm 56 is a relatively short psalm. Yet in this short psalm, David repeats the phrase ‘whose word I praise’ three times. In today’s reading he states, “In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.”

GN Park Path 2014-10-27 (2)

Light my path, Lord — Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

For me this phrase raises a question. Whose word do I praise? Do I praise God’s word? Do I appreciate and value the written word of God? Have I made it my refuge as it was for David? Is it my sustenance? Do I feed on it daily? While fasting in the wilderness Jesus answered the tempter, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).

Do you trust the living, active word of God to help you today and every day? Trust really is crucial. If I don’t trust that God’s word will help, encourage, correct and sustain me, I won’t bother reading it or meditating on it. I’ll trust in my own abilities or seek direction from other sources.

Trust is crucial in election campaigns. During such campaigns politicians from a variety of parties make their pitch to the electorate. Again the fundamental question for each voter is whose word, do you trust? Politicians often promise more than they can deliver. Often I have been let down by a politician who promised to do things differently, but once in office failed to deliver, or became caught up in scandal after scandal. I presume the same disappointment holds true for many voters.

We need to remember that salvation won’t ever be achieved at the ballot box. It was achieved at the cross—only at the cross. The remedy for my sin is found there. The living word of God reminds us of that trustworthy, unchanging truth.

Response: LORD God, I put my trust in your word. I praise your life-giving word for it is good and completely trustworthy. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path (Psalm 119:105). Amen.

Your Turn: Do you make it your habit to read and meditate on the word of God?

David’s Solution for Spiritual Constipation

30 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Psalm 6, Psalms

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Reading:                                             Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
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.
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. (NIV).

Reflection
The life of a God-follower isn’t all happy days and sunny skies, as some preachers might have you believe. On the contrary, hard times and grief may frequent our way. Does that mean we are out of the will of God? Has God abandoned us during these times of inner turmoil, struggle and hardship?

2017-05-22

Bilberry Creek cycling bridge, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Judging by the life and experience of David as expressed through the psalms, the answer is a resounding, “No.” God has not abandoned you.

David met with God during these times of difficulty. He poured out his complaint before the LORD. He pleaded with God; he held nothing back. Take a look at some of the keywords in this psalm: agony, anguish, groaning, weeping, tears, and sorrow. David experienced all these emotions. He didn’t bottle them up. He poured them out before the LORD in prayer.

Many believers suffer from a form of spiritual constipation. They are filled with anger, hurt and bitter disappointment. Life has been hard, but they are afraid to take their anguish before God. They put on a brave face for the world and the church, but inwardly they are dying. They need a massive dose of the Psalms of David—psalms of self-emptying.

Fear not; God can handle your anguish and anger. He won’t smite you dead for being honest about your feelings. Here is some sound advice. Are you hurt or feeling broken? Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then take heart from what David says in the conclusion to this psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.“

Response: Dear God, I pour out my problems, hurts and struggles before you. Hear my prayer. I know you are a God of mercy. I open myself to you. Amen.

Your Turn: Do some Christians suffer from spiritual constipation? Does heartfelt prayer bring relief? Are you bottling up things that should released to the Lord?

Restored Fortunes

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 126, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them (NIV).

Reflection

This is a psalm that has two parts—two sharply contrasting perspectives. It begins with jubilation, but it transitions to sober reflection and a prayer for restoration.

deer-on-farm

Deer on a snowy day near MacNutt, SK, photo by Char Kitz

The historical context of this psalm is readily identifiable. The psalmist is commenting on the joyous return of the exiles following the seventy-year Babylonian captivity—an event that occurred in the sixth century before the birth of Christ. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

The LORD had brought back the people of Israel and they were filled with joy. Have you experienced the glorious liberating power of God in your life? Have you experienced the pure joy of the Lord as you realized your sins are forgiven? And oh joy—this God you serve is as near as your next breath!

I remember a time like that—a time when I was filled with the Holy Spirit. The joy I experienced was so all encompassing that I remember waking in the morning with my face muscles aching because of the smile that had been permanently etched there.

But alas, we can’t live on that mountaintop high forever. In our pilgrimage with God, we eventually reach this line in Psalm 126: Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. The Negev is the parched desert region to the south of the land of Judah. Streams in the Negev are intermittent. A raging torrent one day becomes a mere trickle on the next day, and then nothing on the third day. The boisterous river of joy turns into a blank line on the desert floor. Then we join with the psalmist and pray. Restore our fortunes, LORD. Our prayer becomes a plea for a return to the joy of harvest.

Response: Father God, I thank you for times of great joy, when we experience your salvation and your felt presence. Help me to sow the seeds of your gospel message today. Amen.

Your Turn: What season are you in? What season is your church in? Is it seed planting time or harvest?

From Tears to Celebration

21 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Thursday's Thought

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We cried on the way to plant our seeds,
    but we will celebrate and shout
    as we bring in the crops (Psalm 126:6, CEV).

396

Newly planted rice stalks, Nagoya, Japan — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is celebration.

All those who like tears and suffering, please raise your hand. Did your hand shoot up in response to that request? No, you say. Well, if it’s any consolation, I didn’t raise my hand. Tears, pain and suffering are things I avoid at all cost. But strange as it may seem some of the greatest human triumphs come directly from experiencing suffering or loss.

On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai was taken off a school bus and shot in the head by the Taliban for the ‘sin’ of seeking an education. But miraculously she survived. Despite tears and pain she has gone on to promote education for girls and win the Nobel Prize.

Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that cries of anguish often precede shouts of celebration.

We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops (Psalm 126:6, CEV).

If you are suffering now, take heart. God is well able to turn your sorrow into joy. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy (Psalm 126:5, NIV).

Response: LORD God, I know my tears are not wasted. You value even my suffering. Work good out of those things that bring me pain. I will celebrate the victories you bring. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you suffering at the present time? Do you believe God hears your cries?

A Solution for Spiritual Constipation

02 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 6, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

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.

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. (NIV)

 Reflection

The life of a God-follower isn’t all happy days and sunny skies, as some preachers might have you believe. On the contrary, hard times and grief may frequent our way. Does that mean we are out of the will of God? Has God abandoned us during these times of inner turmoil, struggle and hardship?

Judging by the life and experience of David as expressed through the psalms, the answer is a resounding, “No.” God has not abandoned you.

David met with God during these times of difficulty. He poured out his complaint before the LORD. He pleaded with God; he held nothing back. Take a look at some of the key words in this psalm: agony, anguish, groaning, weeping, tears, and sorrow. David experienced all these emotions. He didn’t bottle them up. He poured them out before the LORD in prayer.

Many believers suffer from a form of spiritual constipation. They are filled with anger, hurt and bitter disappointment. Life has been hard, but they are afraid to take their anguish before God. They put on a brave face for the world and the church, but inwardly they are dying. They need a massive dose of the Psalms of David—psalms of self-emptying.

Fear not; God can handle your anguish and anger. He won’t smite you dead for being honest about your feelings. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then take heart from what David says in the conclusion to this psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.“

Response: Dear God, I pour out my problems, hurts and struggles before you. Hear my prayer. Amen.

Your Turn: Do some Christians suffer from spiritual constipation? Does prayer heartfelt bring relief?