Presented by Jenn Miller
Biblical lament is the honest and often raw expression of our pain and sorrow before God, and a striking example of this is Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1, we read that Hannah longed for a child but was barren. If that pain weren’t enough, she was constantly reminded of this and ridiculed by another woman.
Maybe you have also experienced the intensified suffering of being mocked in your troubles. And it wasn’t just one time; verse 3 says this happened year after year. Hannah found herself in a cycle of suffering she couldn’t get out of. Finally, she went in bitterness of soul to the tabernacle to weep and pray. In verse 15, she described it as pouring out her soul to the Lord.
I love that phrase. Often when I am hurting, the pain wells up within me, and I can feel so heavy and burdened. But just like a glass that is full and ready to spill over, when we come to the Lord in our grief in prayer, we have the opportunity to pour out our souls to him, to bring our burdens to his feet, to share everything we are feeling and thinking.
Now, this is not always a pretty process. It wasn’t for Hannah. I bet we would describe this as “ugly crying,” not just a sweet dab of the eye when teary, but she held nothing back. The priest Eli was so repulsed he thought Hannah was drunk. But the Lord is not repulsed by our messy expression of need! He delighted in Hannah’s prayer.
Psalm 62:8 instructs us to pour out our hearts to the Lord. Friend, what are you holding today that is heavy and burdensome? Do you feel like you are about to crack or burst? The Lord bids you to cast your cares on him because he cares for you.
Pour out all your pain and brokenness before the Lord today. Tell him how you feel, your fears, your disappointments. The Lord draws near to those who humbly come and seek him. He invites you to spill out your suffering and let him carry your burdens.