God Can Handle the Unfiltered You
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
Psalm 22:1-11
When we read this Psalm of David, it can be quite the roller coaster ride. The Psalm continues along this theme for another 20 verses. It is clear that when David wrote this particular Psalm, he was going through a lot. He felt abandoned by God.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
At the same time, we can also see him battling with his mindset, and reminding himself of who God is and the miracles he has already performed.
Despair. Hope. Anguish. Belief.
We see this in a lot of Psalms of David. David is a passionate man who is incredibly flawed, faces many challenges, and is never shy to share exactly how he is feeling with God. He will shout God’s praises from the rooftops, and he is also unafraid to let God know when he feels completely abandoned.
In 1 Samuel David is called a man after God’s own heart.
We serve a passionate God. Over and over again we see this throughout scripture.
Our passion, our emotions, and our ups and downs are a big part of what makes us human. They are part of what makes us “a creation in God’s own image”.
God is not afraid of your authentic prayer.
When your heart is in a place of deep appreciation, bring your worship! Bring your praise!
When you are in a place of despair, it is also ok to be real with God, like David. God wants a relationship with you, including all of your baggage. He wants you to come to him in good times and bad and doesn’t mind the occasional question:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
In these moments, we can be raw, real, and unfiltered.
However, when we are in the midst of these low points, it is also good to do what David did in this Psalm at the same time.
It can be incredibly powerful to remind ourselves of the God we serve, and all of the miraculous things he has already done. As human beings, we struggle to step outside of the momentary challenges we face on a day to day, month to month, and year to year basis. It is SO hard to have a lifelong perspective, let alone an eternal one.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One.
If we have put our faith in Jesus, our salvation is guaranteed.
No sickness, job loss, relational challenges, financial struggles, etc. can get in the way of that.
However, that doesn’t mean that those are not real, painful, and a significant burden as we are going through them.
God can handle our frustration, depression, and anxiety when these things occur. As we read back in Matthew 11, Jesus simply wants us to take his yoke upon our shoulders, so he can help carry the burden with us.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
So, this week, when you are tempted to give God the filtered version of your prayer, just give it to him raw. If you find yourself watering down how you are really feeling, remind yourself that you were created in God’s own image, and we serve a passionate God.
Then ask Jesus to come alongside you, take his yoke upon your shoulders, and remind yourself of every time that he has shown up in your life.
God wants your entire heart; good, bad and ugly!
Just like David.
This year, let’s give it to him.
Daily Reflection & Dialogue
What is one thing going on in my life right now that I have not yet brought to God in prayer?
