When We Don't Have a Joyful Song in Our Heart
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We Need to Be Honest in Our Prayers
We hear a lot about depression and mental illness today. I’ve seen reports and articles, on social media, the news, and across the internet of an uptick in depression and mental illness. Now we have ads on television and social media offering virtual counseling, not to mention ads for various drugs.
Is this uptick in depression and mental illness a new trend? It seems to be so among younger ages, but sadness, depression, and mental illness have been part of the human condition for millennia.
We’re not told specifically, but I expect Adam and Eve experienced significant sadness when sent out of the Garden of Eden because they disobeyed God. So it’s no surprise to see it now.
The question we all have in some way is—how do we handle sadness and depression? How should followers of the Lord Jesus deal with this?
The classic, knee-jerk answer is to pray and praise the Lord, anyway. But let’s be honest, when we feel a sense of hopelessness, it seems impossible to sing songs of praise.
When in a state of deep sadness, prayer may seem like a hopeless effort. How do we pray when we’re heartbroken, blue, or depressed?
We need to be honest with God and ourselves. I see this level of honesty throughout the Psalms and found it confirmed from personal experience.
The Lord already knows us better than anyone else, including ourselves. He knows how we feel and why we feel the way we do. So pour out your heart to Him. This is what I see the psalmist express in Psalm 137.
Scripture
By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and cried as we remembered Zion.
We hung our lyres on willow trees.
It was there that those who had captured us demanded that we sing. Those who guarded us wanted us to entertain them. They said, “Sing a song from Zion for us!”
How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? [vss 1-4]
If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the lyre.
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you, if I don’t consider Jerusalem my highest joy. [vss 5-6]
O Lord, remember the people of Edom.
Remember what they did the day Jerusalem was captured. They said, “Tear it down! Tear it down to its foundation.”
You destructive people of Babylon, blessed is the one who pays you back with the same treatment you gave us. Blessed is the one who grabs your little children and smashes them against a rock. [vss 7-9]
(Psalms 137:1-9 GW) [Context– Psalm 137]
Reflections and Insights
Sadness is a powerful emotion. It can crush a heart and overwhelm the mind. Anger is also a powerful emotion. Left unchecked, it breeds rage and becomes destructive.
Both these emotions are present in Psalm 137. This psalm is described as an imprecatory or curse psalm and expresses the psalmist's thoughts with strong emotive words.
The Bible is not just a book of truth, it's an honest book. There's no political spin or holding back of the depths of human struggle and evil. Those ignorant of God and His purposes often misunderstand and misconstrue this and blame God for what humanity brings upon itself.
Because of Israel's continuing rebellion against God and refusal to abide by His covenant with them, God exiled Israel to a foreign land. The Babylonians conquered, captured, and exiled God's chosen people and removed them from their promised land.
The opening verses of Psalm 137 show the depth of Israel's sadness. They have no joyful song to sing to their captors. They are beyond unhappy because they are disconsolate and dejected.
The latter portion of the psalm is an expression of their anger. Anger is the common reactive emotion we express when going through deep sadness and pain. It is the bitter cry of the indescribable trauma of exile.
One purpose of this psalm is to remind us that God knows our deepest wounds. He knows we need to express what's in our hearts instead of bottling up these feelings. Otherwise, they will explode destructively upon others and in ways we don’t intend or want.
So, what do we do with these powerful emotions inside us? We need to express them to the Lord in honest and open prayer.
When we are genuinely open and honest with God in prayer, we can vent these powerful emotions and entrust them to Him. He knows how to handle our deepest sadness and anger. We need to give it over to Him, and then leave our cares and pain in His hands.
Reflection—
How do you handle deep sadness or burning anger? The Lord knows our needs and struggles and waits for us to entrust them to Him. We need to be honest in our prayers.
Prayer Focus—
When there is no joyful song in your heart because of deep sadness, anger, or hopelessness, be honest about this in prayer. The Lord knows already, so be honest with Him and yourself.
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