Scripture
Psalm 38:1-3, 9-11, 21-22 (ESV)
O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!
For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Devotional Reflection
To rightly process the sufferings that accompany the Christian's journey we must distinguish between despair and lament. To despair is to experience suffering apart from the promises of God. It is to confront the sinful brokenness of creation alone. Ultimately it is to suffer without true hope. But lament is different. Not because the severity of the suffering is lessened, but because it is experienced in light of God's promises. Lament is a complaint made in faith. And that is why true lament can only be spoken from the lips of Christians. Christians suffer. Deeply. Painfully. But in lament, our cries of complaint are not directed against our suffering, but against God's own promises. In lament we bring our broken pieces to the Lord and say, "Please fix this! You promised!" And then we become still. And wait.
Image Description (AI Prompt)
A conceptual and artistic representation of someone who is metaphorically falling apart. The figure is depicted sitting down, with their head bowed and hands in their lap, as if in deep contemplation or resignation. Pieces still appear to be floating away from the body, symbolizing disintegration or loss. The background remains abstract and blurred to keep the focus on the figure's condition. The color scheme is similarly muted, using shades of gray and blue to convey a mood of melancholy and introspection, enhancing the emotional impact of the scene.