Who Needs Lament?
July 20, 2024 — Laura House
There are many things that I wish I had known when I began this remarkable journey eight years ago. It would’ve been nice to have a deeper understanding of lament. I was certainly doing it; crying out to God in my suffering, reading David’s Psalms of Lament when I had no words to pray except, “Lord, you know!”, but I didn’t understand the full impact that lament could have in my life.
Who needs lament? Not just bereaved parents but EVERY BELIEVER! All of us face hardship, pain, and suffering because we live in a broken world. When Jesus returns or we go to Heaven, we won’t face these things anymore, but for now, we all do. Understanding the beautiful gift of lament can be life-changing and life-giving.
At the last two Our Hearts Are Home conferences, sessions on lament offered tremendous help and insights that can be useful to all of us. Both of those sessions are available on the OHAH YouTube channel to view or listen to.
Mark Vroegop defines lament as a “prayer in pain that leads to trust.“ A bereaved dad and pastor, Mark shares the process of learning how to lament. It is one of the best messages I’ve ever heard. “Lament is how I talk to God as I’m walking through this wandering wasteland of trying to figure out how I live with pain that doesn’t seem to be survivable.”
Jim Beardsley’s conference session, Biblical Lament: Walking the Road of Sorrow to the Throne of the King, was also presented in a recent webinar. As a medical school professor and bereaved dad, Jim speaks from his own experience, demonstrating the impact that lament can have on our lives. With visual slides, and examples born from his own suffering, he unpacks the concept and applies it in a way that every one of us can use. If you are planning to attend the upcoming fall conference, Jim will be sharing a session titled, Going Deeper with Biblical Lament.
Are you going through a season of suffering right now? Lament can be a source of strength and deepen your intimacy with God. What an astounding truth that the God of the universe invites us to bring our pain to Him in this way. Don’t miss what learning to lament can do in your life!
_____
“In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.” — Psalm 18:6
