Big Feelings

Psalm 43

Key Verse:
For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? (Psalm 43:2, CEB)

I wouldn’t say that Psalms are my favorite book of the Bible, but I do have a favorite thing about them. My favorite thing about the psalms is their honesty. In the psalms we find thanksgiving, suffering, questions, praise, anger, and relief. We find the whole range of human emotions in the psalms – the good, the bad, and the ugly. We often say that children have big feelings. We all have big feelings. The Book of Psalms testifies to those big feelings that humans have always had.

Along with our feelings, many of us have faith. Sometimes our feelings, though, seem to challenge our faith. The psalmist in today’s key verse speaks to that tension. The psalmist seems to be saying, “I trust in you God, but I feel abandoned.” Have you ever felt like that? Have your feelings ever been so big that they challenged your faith? We know that God is faithful, yet our circumstances seem to scream otherwise.

The psalms don’t hide these very human moments. They do not shame us for having those feelings. They don’t ignore these very real questions. Our circumstances often produce feelings that challenge our faith. The psalmist shows us that, even in our questioning, God invites us to bring our honest questions to Him. The psalmist isn’t letting go of his belief in God’s strength, even as he wrestles with pain and confusion. He teaches us that faith doesn't mean the absence of struggle; it means bringing our struggle to the One who can carry it.

Prayer
Lord, when we feel abandoned or weighed down by life’s pressures, remind us that You are still our stronghold. Help us to trust You even when we don’t understand. Give us the courage to be honest with You, and the faith to hold on to You in the dark. Amen.

Rev. Dana Ezell