Godly Sorrow
Have you ever wondered why God allows you to experience suffering, sorrow, and times of lament? Truth tells us that these times are meant to turn us towards God.
“The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."
Deuteronomy 2:2-3, 5, 7, 24, 32-33
Consider the truth of the verses above, not only for the Israelites, but in your life as well. The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over all the days of your journey and you have not lacked anything you needed to arrive at today. So, what is it in us that has a hard time trusting the days ahead? Why do we struggle with trusting God?
Like the Israelites, we like to go our own way and can tend to focus on what we do not have more than what we do have. Do you ever find yourself playing the if only or when I have game? If only I had resources or things were different in my life then I would do what God calls? When I have more time, money, or talent then I will take a step of faith? What happens when we live with those mindsets? We end up producing lives that have more frustration and sorrow than God intended.
“Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament...Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness...let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
Psalms 5:3, 7-8, 11-12
If nothing else, David was at least consistent in being a person who was transparent about his emotions. David had big emotions. Do you know anyone in your life who has big emotions? David does not say I was a little sad or slightly shaken. He says consider my lament! This was not a softly spoken song. He calls on the people to seek refuge the Lord. He says when not if they face trouble. He calls on God to guide, protect, bless, and surround the people.
One of the most effective aspects of David's journey with the Lord is his honesty. He did not hide how he was feeling from God. Rather, he sought the Lord and the Lord answered him. He did not pretend that things were okay when they were not. When he was lament, he cried out in lament. When he was praising, he would praise with loud trumpets. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from David about being honest with God then listening to how God responds to our emotions. What do you need to get off your heart today? Where you need to let your emotions loose and be open about how you are feeling?
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...you will understand what is right and just and fair, every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."
Proverbs 2:1-13, 20
If someone asked you if you do what God calls you to do, how would you answer? What if that person dove deeper and asked you to show how you sought God's wisdom, how you applied your heart to understanding, how you called out for insights, and how you disciplined your life with discretion? How would you respond to a more in depth dive into your words, actions and attitudes?
Jesus is forming us into His likeness and He wants to give us all that we need to become who He made us to be. These four pillars are gifts that are waiting to be opened, doors waiting to be unlocked, and an inheritance waiting to be received. Solomon says that our lives have to be intentional about pursuing each of these. How does this relate to sorrow, lament, or suffering? Ask yourself how often you have ended up in a place, either physically, relationally, or emotionally, because your words, actions, and attitude were out of alignment with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, insights, and discretion? The point we can learn from this text is that we all have room to grow. We have room to grow in how closely we follow Jesus and how we learn to walk in His ways.
The incredible mercy of Jesus is revealed in the truths found in John 3:17 where it is written that Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world and in Romans 8 where Paul wrote that Jesus makes all things work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. What happens when we fall short? We can experience or cause suffering and have times of lament, but Jesus never leaves us in those places. We call on Him because He meets us where we are and answers our prayers.
“Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams. When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign Lord...Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit. Their graves are in the depths of the pit."
Ezekiel 32:2, 7-8, 15, 17-18, 23, 25
Is it not fascinating that even before the Pharaoh experiences the painful consequences of his decisions that God calls on the prophet Ezekiel to warn and pray for the Pharaoh? Does that not reveal so much about the very nature of God and show His loving compassion?
People could criticize God for allowing painful things to happen in their lives, but the reality is that we live in a fallen world that will include pain. In this text, we see God share the truth that pain will be coming to Pharaoh because of Pharaoh's choices, but God never takes pleasure in the pain. On the contrary, God actively calls on others to intercede and caution those walking in harm's way.
How does this relate to our own lives of following Jesus? Does this encourage you to seek advice from the Lord so that you avoid any potential or avoidable danger that could come from pride or selfishness? Does this encourage you to pray for others and keep calling on the Lord especially in times of trouble?
“Make room for us in your hearts...God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us...He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me...Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter...your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done."
2 Corinthians 7:1-2, 4, 6-11, 16
The bible teaches us a principle founded on the truth of the word of God that there is godly sorrow. There are times where the best thing for a person is to learn the consequences of their choices so that they would learn to change the course of their life. Have you ever experienced such a time? Have you ever had a really hard time that you can look back and see that it was a blessing because the time put enough pressure on you that you changed?
Paul says that God comforts. We see time and again in scripture that Jesus comforted the broken hearted, brought healing to those in need, and was compassionate. Jesus even says that it is better that He goes to heaven so that we will have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. We must learn to stand on truth and discern where the enemy is speaking what is false. The truth is God loves you and wants to comfort you. Sometimes the most comforting thing He can do is to allow you temporary pain so that you will find eternal comfort in relationship with Jesus.
What would happen if we changed our questions from why God when we are lamenting our hardships to declarations by saying thank you Father that you promise to bring comfort and make this time work for good? Is it possible that Paul is giving us deep wisdom, applicable knowledge, a new level of understanding, profound insights, and a model of discretion that can change how we live when he says that sorrow will produce earnestness, eagerness, indignation, and readiness? So the call today is to listen to Paul. Make room in our hearts to praise God for all He has done, is doing, and will do. Choose to trust by turning to Jesus not away from Him when you experience the days of difficulty that eventually come to all of us.