Cry out to God.

When you feel afraid, you can cry out to God.

When someone hurts you, you can cry out to God.

When you experience overwhelming loss or heartbreak, God is right there ready to answer your cries. He always hears you and always understands what you are feeling and going through.

Yes, we can cry out to God, out of fear, pain, loneliness, anger, offense and grief.  The Bible even encourages us to do so.  In fact, more than fifty of the Psalms are called “songs of lament” – as in cries, mourns and wailings to God.  

Consider Psalm 44 as it desperately prays, “Wake up! Do something, Lord!  Why are you sleeping? Don’t desert us forever” (Ps 44:23 CEV). What a cry out to God.

Now hear the emotional distress in Psalm 55 which wails, “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help” (Ps 55:1 NLT).

Some of these laments portray external problems that threaten us such as sickness or enemies while others describe our own actions or sins such as: “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Ps 51:4 NLT).

We are just like these ancient writers with our own struggles, fears, sicknesses and doubts.  There is no question we are fragile, sinful and in desperate need for God. This is why the Psalms resonate so easily with all of us.

But no matter our troubles, the Psalms repeatedly show that it is good to bring them to God.  Even when we cry out against God, or feel abandoned by him, he still wants us to bring him our cares and worries.  He can handle it and loves us even when we are mad at him, afraid or feel abandoned by him.

Yes, our amazing God understands what it is like to be alone, to be falsely accused, to be afraid, to be mocked, humiliated, stripped naked, beaten and killed.  Jesus even called out in agony, quoting Psalm 22, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me” as they crucified him.  

Yes, our God who had it all, decided to become small, fragile and killable – to pay for our sins. To take on what we deserved so we could live with his victory! Our God who listens and reaches us with his peace and understanding is a God who offers an eternal life in heaven, next to him, if it’s truly where we want to be.

The Psalms are guideposts for us, and Jesus loved them and lived them. They weave through the map of human experience and ultimately point us to our God, our source and destination.  

Today is a good day to begin your journey through the Psalms. They’ll help you to rest with God during this time of unrest.  To help you call to him with your tears and fears and let him hold you with his Word. Simply cry out to him and find hope.