Honest With God: Finding Healing and Wholeness Through the PsalmsНамуна

A couple of years ago, my wife was appointed as a judge by our state’s governor.

It was an unbelievable honor and a career highlight. Our oldest son gave a speech about his mom at her investiture (think an inauguration, but for a judge), and our two youngest children helped her put on her robe. I was honored to hold her Bible as she took her oath of office.

However, as quickly as she took the job, the real work began. Our county is small, requiring her to campaign to keep her job, like most politicians. We worked on her campaign for 10 months straight, without taking a single day off. At the end of that time, a challenger with more political connections defeated her by a 7% margin.

As I mentioned on day 15, I was intensely angry with this outcome. “God, don’t You see all the people she helped? Why did You allow her to lose? We worked so hard, and so many people sacrificed to support us. What is Your plan here?!”

On one particular night, while searching desperately for some direction concerning what I was feeling, I discovered King David's raw honesty in Psalm 6: "Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?" (Psalm 6:1-3 NIV)

David's anguish is palpable, his questions urgent and demanding. He's not politely requesting God's attention – he's crying out with the desperation of someone whose world is falling apart.

Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross famously identified anger as one of the five stages of grief, but David understood this truth thousands of years before modern psychology gave it a name. In Psalm 13, he demands answers: "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1 NIV)

God didn't strike David down for his honest anger. He didn't rebuke him for his demanding questions. Instead, David's raw emotions are present and visible in Scripture, validating the reality that healthy grief often includes rage. The Apostle Paul later wrote an essential reminder in Ephesians 4:26 NIV - “In your anger do not sin.”

So, remember, your anger doesn't disqualify you from God's love. Your questions don't diminish His grace. The God who can handle the storm of your emotions is big enough to weather your grief. God invites us to bring our anger to Him and pour it out, just as David did.

I know the last few days have been filled with a lot of dark and intense emotions. However, I would like to continue pointing you to hope amidst this honesty. So, don’t miss tomorrow’s reading for a hefty dose of good news!