From Despair to Lament

Editor’s note: Yesterday, Ben Locke, author of In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near wrote a deeply encouraging devotion for us about how God is near to the brokenhearted and will work all things together for good because He is good. His goodness is not limited by our capacity to feel, see, or understand it. You can read it here. If you’re suffering, this is for you! Today, enjoy this excerpt of In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near.

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I am downcast

empty

distraught.

This suffering follows me;

dark clouds consume all of my days.

 

Father, I submit now,

because I have no other option.

You have blessed me so deeply,

but right now,

all I feel is hurt.

 

At Your feet

I lay my spirit.

Broken and weak,

I fall before the throne of my Savior.

How long can I suffer, Lord?

When will this pain be removed from me?

Come now,

do not wait any longer,

for my hope blows away with the wind;

clarity hides itself from me.

 

My days have been filled with anguish.

I look behind me,

and all I see is trouble;

I look ahead and see despair waiting.

Heal me now, O Lord,

take this cup away from me,

for I cannot bear it.

Bring a massacre on the evil that surrounds me;

destroy it with Your right hand in an instant.

 

I am on my knees.

I cannot bear to lift my head.

Go forth before me,

clear a path ahead of me,

and I will rejoice at Your name.

I will sing praise with every breath;

my hands will serve Your Kingdom.

In your mercy, Father,

save me.

 

Declare victory for your child;

let your name be conqueror in this place.

 

Amen.

 

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Father, my soul cries out in desperation,

my spirit shatters in despair,

when I consider separation from Your mercy.

For if I knew not of Your grace,

I would no longer wish to live.

I would give myself over to dust and ashes,

never to be heard from again.

The pain would be too great;

destruction would have its way with me.

 

But...

You, O Lord,

pull me from the ashes.

You pick me up from the pit of despair.

You hold me close.

With a voice like thunder, You say:

 

Beloved, come and rise again,

the depths of My mercy will set you free.

As far as the East is from the West,

so have your sins been separated from you.

Listen to My voice;

hear My call.

You have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb.

In your depravity, your desolation,

you have continued to seek your Holy Creator.

 

Be set free,

for My righteousness has covered the costs.

You will see My goodness.

My mercy will walk beside you.

Nothing will stand between us again—this

I promise.

 

I will worship the King forevermore.

His goodness brings tears to my eyes,

and trembling to my knees.

I will never seek my identity elsewhere again,

for You are my only hope.

 

Amen.

Excerpted with permission from In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near by Ben Locke, copyright Ben Locke.

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Your Turn

In despair, we have the gift of lament. God wants to hear every groan, every cry, every sadness so that He can be near to us. Seeking His face in tears is a beautiful form of worship, so bring it all to Him. ~ Devotionals Daily