JOY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW: Psalms 105, Psalm 44, Psalm 22, Psalm 13, Psalms 60

No matter what we are going through, we can be encouraged even in the depths of our pain. Amid our struggles, hardships, and trials, we can still have joy and peace.

How is that possible?

We are journeying through the Book of Psalms.

Take this journey with us and with God and his heavenly host as we learn how and what it means to pray.

The Psalms are prayers, and hymns snugged within the heart of the Bible.

Bursting forth in praise, exultation, sorrow, and sometimes hearts of desperation, these sacred verses have been echoed in private prayer closets and in public spaces alike.

The Psalms have been expressed on the lips of people from every walk of life, from the person standing on the street corner to top leading officials.

Psalms are choruses that transcend time and space.

As we journey through the Psalms, may they be a guiding light to lead you into a deeper relationship with God.

Review our past and present videos at SabbathSchoolDaily.com or visit my YouTube Channel, Sabbath School Daily by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis

Inviting God’s Presence:

Father, with an open mind, we invite your presence. Change our hearts and minds as we journey through the Book of Psalms. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Psalms

(Lesson 2)

Teach us to Pray

Day 4: A Psalm of Despair

In our previous video, we learned the value of using the Psalms as models or examples for talking to God in our personal prayer life.

 However, besides being models for talking to God about our feelings and concerns, the poems in the Psalms also give us hope.

They reassure us of God’s presence.

For instance, pause and read Psalm 22; in it, we see that we can trust God even amid our suffering.

In Psalm 22, we see a soul laid bare in the middle of their pain and suffering, crying out to God.

The crying words of Psalm 22:1 may give those who are suffering the words needed to express their loneliness, sorrow, pain, and grief.

The writer cries out to God, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?” (Psalm 22:1). (oiree98e)

To most Christians, these words are familiar, for they are the very words Jesus used in Matthew 27:46 while He was hanging on the cross. What’s interesting is Jesus’ prayer is a quote from the Book of Psalms.

What does this show?

It demonstrates that Jesus, at times, uses the words of the psalmist to express his own experiences.  

Notice in Psalms 22 that the palmist does not give up hope despite his situation.

Even while in the middle of his bad feelings of suffering and pain, he goes on to say in this same psalm, Psalm 22:22:

“I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You” (Psalm 22:22). (Split)

So, when you compare verse 22 with verse 1, we see that verse 1 is filled with expressions of grief, suffering, and pain.

In contrast, verse 22 is filled with expressions of faith and praise.

In other words, although the feelings of hope in verse 22 don’t match the feelings of despair, in the writer’s present situation of suffering in verse 1, the psalmist still expresses his faith in God and declares that, come what may, he will still praise God.

He has decided to praise him in the middle of his grief and pain.

 He has determined in his heart that regardless of his situation, he will praise God anyway.

So, how can the psalmist praise God in the middle of his pain and suffering?

It is because he has, through his life experiences, learned to trust God.

We can be inspired to have this same determination in times of hardship, grief, sorrow, or pain when we use the prayer model of Psalm 22

Though we may express how we feel to God, we are reminded to look beyond our current situation and see ourselves in the future with, by the Grace of God, our lives renewed.

Thus, we should look beyond Our current situation with the eyes of faith to the time when God will heal and deliver us with His hands of mercy.

This is why it is so important that we make the poems in the Book of Psalms a part of our praise and worship.

They will help us grow in spiritual strength and faith.

The Book of Psalms not only gives us words to express our feelings in the most painful situations.

Most importantly, the words of the psalmist do not leave us in our expressions of pain; the psalms help us place our pain, hurt, disappointment, anger, and sadness before God.

And, regardless of our circumstances, we learn that we can trust God to bring us out.

So, Psalm 22 starts with sadness, grief, and pain and ends with praise.

Thus, no matter where we start, we should end by offering our praise and adoration to God.

As a matter of fact, many of the poems in the Book of Psalms do the same thing.

This experience of moving from sadness and pain to praise helps us to see the transformation that occurs when we go to him in prayer, regardless of our situation, and in His divine mercy, and He delivers us.

It helps us look beyond our current circumstances and trust in God.

We learn to hold on to the promises of God, with the assurance that he will deliver us at the appointed time and in the way that He sees best for us.

At times, the time of waiting may seem long, and though our souls may be oppressed by discouraging circumstances, how can we have confidence that God will see us through?

 To find out more, view the next segment of this video: Day 5: From Despair to Hope

Psalms

(Lesson 2)

Teach us to Pray

Day 5: From Despair to Hope

Have you ever been in a state in which it seemed as if God was far away from you?

No doubt, we’ve all felt this way at times, especially during difficult times.

Who has not said these words: Why is this happening to me?

Or how could this be happening to me?

During hard times, in your mind, you may think, if God cares about me, why is he allowing me to go through this?

Guess what? You are not alone.

In fact, the writers of the Book of Psalms often felt the same way.

It is true, however, that at times, our sins, what we have done, cause us to suffer.

But sometimes, our suffering is no fault of our own.

This is the kind of suffering that can lead us to question God’s fairness.

How fair does it seem when a drunk driver smashes someone’s car, and they end up paralyzed for life?

Certainly, we can feel like we do not deserve what is happening to us.

Who has not been there?

Apparently, the psalmist who wrote Psalms 13 felt the same way.

It’s not fair!

Hit the pause button and Read Psalms 13.

See if you can determine the two feelings David experiences in this poem.

Notice that he has a change in attitude.

What do you think caused him to change his thinking?

David starts Psalms 13:1, asking, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1).

Again, who hasn’t felt at times like David?

But does God really forget us?

Of course not!

So, should we feel this way? Not at all.

Thus, Palms 13 helps us identify another mistake we should try to avoid when praying.

That is praying only about our problem without acknowledging the power of God.

Sometimes, when we pray, we think only about ourselves and our problems.

Praying only about our problems is a great mistake.

Yes, we may address the problem, but Psalm 13 shows us that we should not merely focus on ourselves and our problem but remember God is merciful.

Regardless of our situation, we should reaffirm our faith in Him, acknowledging that God is faithful and that He always keeps His promises no matter what.

So, although David in Psalm 13 starts with laments or cries and complaints, he does not end this psalm that way. 

Thus, from Psalm 13, we learn, as expressed in Psalm 13:5, the importance of trusting in God’s love and mercy no matter what.

5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. (Psalms 13:5)

When we trust in God to save us, our fears and worries, like those in Psalm 13:1–4, soon disappear.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. (Psalms 13:1-4)

As we learn to put our trust in God, we experience a heart that is transformed.

Instead of cries of complaint, we express songs of joy and praise. We move from laments to praise, from feelings of despair and despondency to feelings of joy and hope.  

But to experience this change, we cannot just merely repeat the words of the psalmist with a limited understanding of their meaning.

If we want change to take place in our hearts, we must trust and believe in the One the psalmist is addressing.

Thus, when we pray using the Psalms, we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power to live in the manner expressed in the Psalms.

In other words, the poems in the Book of Psalms are the Living Word of God. I

t is by the Word of God that our lives, our hearts, and our behavior are transformed.

That is, when we allow God’s Word, the Bible, to penetrate our hearts, the Holy Spirit, united with the cleansing Power of the blood of Jesus Christ, cleanses our hearts and changes us.

Jesus lived and demonstrated God’s perfect will in every part of His life.

It is through Him that we are reconnected to God.

He used the poems in the Book of Psalms under different circumstances when he prayed.

 Thus, should we not also incorporate them into our prayers? (Split)

Our trial can bring us closer to God, yet if we are not careful, we can allow our emotions and how we feel to push us away.  

This is why applying the Psalms to our prayers are so important.  

How does praying using the Psalms bring us closer to God?

To find out, read Psalms 60, then continue to the next segment of this video: Day 6: Oh Restore Us Again

Psalms

(Lesson 2)

Teach us to Pray

Day 6: Oh, Restore Us Again            

Psalm 60 is a lament. In our previous video, we learned that laments are cries; they are sad songs or poems.

Laments are also prayers.

Psalms of Lament are not just beneficial in the bad seasons of our life; they are also beneficial in the good seasons of our life.

How can we get a blessing from reading Psalms of lament during the times when our lives are filled with joy, and we feel happy?

You see, the laments are a special group of songs or poems in the Book of Psalms.

As expressed, these sad songs are also prayers.

They talk about the experiences of those living through trying times.

 These trying times can be physical, psychological, or spiritual.

So, they talk of experiences of sickness, sorrow, or spiritual suffering.

And, Sometimes, they include all three.

Should we read the laments in the Book of Psalms only when we are suffering?

Of course not. 

Laments can bless us in many ways, during both good and bad times.

One thing is that these Psalms of Lament can help us be more aware that suffering is a part of life.

It helps us understand that suffering is not limited to the wicked, but those who live righteously can also experience suffering.

The Psalms remind us that God is in control, and it gives us strength and offers us solutions in times of trouble.

Even though this psalmist complains about his hardship or bad situation, he acknowledges the power of God, saying in Psalms 60:2, “You have made the earth tremble” (Ps. 60:2, NKJV), Thus the psalmist shows ultimately that his hope is in God and his deliverance.

We are also reminded that when we pray, we also must remember those who are suffering.

Furthermore, the Psalms of Lament teach us to have compassion toward those who are suffering.

It helps us to sympathize with those in pain, and it gives us a desire to help them, just as Jesus did.

This brings up another point.

When we express our happiness and gratitude to God, especially in public, it is important that we take into consideration those who are less fortunate.

Although things may be all good for us right now, we must not forget that there are those around us who are experiencing pain and suffering.

Praying songs of Lament can help us not forget those who are going through difficult times.

Christ came to this world to help the suffering.

Notice what it says in the book Welfare Ministry about how Christ ministered to the suffering.

“This world is a huge hospital for the sick, but Christ came to heal the sick, to proclaim deliverance to the captives of Satan. He was in Himself health and strength. He imparted His life to the sick, the afflicted, those possessed of demons. He turned away none who came to receive His healing power. He knew that those who asked Him for help had brought disease upon themselves, yet He did not refuse to heal them. And when virtue from Christ entered into these poor souls, they were convicted of sin, and many were healed of their spiritual disease, as well as of their physical maladies. The gospel still possesses the same power, and why should we not today witness the same results?” (Ellen G. White, Welfare Ministry, pages 24, 25.)

Do you know anyone right now who needs your prayers and God’s healing touch? Pray for this person right now. Ask Jesus to help you be a blessing to this person.

Father, help us, even in our pain and suffering, acknowledge that you have all power. We pray for those we know who are suffering and ask that you deliver them. In Jesus Name. Amen

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