My daughter stood next to me crying . . . well, more like wailing and whining, you might have even called it screaming. She was upset because she lost the privilege to watch her favorite show. And she wanted to be sure I knew she was angry. Trying to stay calm myself, I sent her to another room to calm down and then return so we could talk about it.
As I listened to her continue to cry from a short distance, I thought about our relationship with God. He never tells us to leave, stop our whining, and then come back to Him. His presence is constant. We don’t have to change our attitude before we’re allowed to speak with Him. He knows every complaint and ache of our hearts. Not only does He already know the cause of our pain or our anger, but He wants us to bring our wailing, whining hearts to Him.
Throughout the Psalms, we see the writer do exactly that, taking his pain and struggles directly to the Lord, crying out to Him.
God does not turn him away. He doesn't turn us away. He does not send us to our room until we are able to calm down. He invites us into His presence even in the midst of our pain and anger. We can follow the psalmist David’s example, “All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).
God already knows the deepest parts of your heart, friend. Today, I challenge you to share them with Him in prayer—cry out to Him, speak the words of your heart to His. He will not leave you alone in your pain and suffering.
Friend, if you are dealing with pain, anger, sorrow, or trials, tell God about them. You don’t have to hide, thinking God doesn’t want to “deal” with you right now. Seek Him in your struggles, trust that He hears your cries, and ask Him for relief. Do not rely on your own ability to tough it out; instead, pray, “Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior” (Psalm 38:21-22).
