Devotion - Friday May 1 - Drawing Near To God In Grief

Text: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” - Psalm 25:1

Devotion: In Psalm 25, we see King David drawing near to the Lord and pouring out his heart to Him.  David expresses his trust in God (vv. 1-2).  He asks that the Lord would teach him and lead him in the truth (vv. 4-5).  He praises the Lord for His goodness, patience, and faithfulness (vv. 8-10).  He describes the friendship and deliverance of the Lord (vv. 14-15).  Importantly, he asks that God would be merciful towards him and forgive him of his sin (vv. 6-7, 11), and he asks for God’s grace during a time of loneliness and affliction (vv. 16-18).  Finally, David prays for deliverance not just for himself, but for all of Israel (v. 22).

When we feel lonely and afflicted, Psalm 25 provides instruction and encouragement to us.  As David did, we should “lift up our souls” to God, and not seek meaning and comfort in purely worldly pleasures.  We should humble ourselves and be honest with God about our feelings, our needs, our failures, and our fears.  When we grieve the condition of the world and its effects on our families, our church, and ourselves, we should, as David did, remember and grieve our own sin, understanding that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  In so doing, we can experience “godly grief” which “produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret,” as opposed to “worldly grief,” which produces only hopelessness and death (2 Cor. 7:10; cf. 1 Thess. 4:13).  We can share our grief with Jesus, being assured that He is forgiving and loving and faithful, and that He can handle all of the anxieties we cast upon Him (1 Pet. 5:7; cf. Matt. 6:25-34).  

During every season, but particularly during times of loneliness and anxiety, humble yourself before the Lord.  Ask that He would teach you and lead you in the truth.  Repent and seek His forgiveness and His friendship.  And pray for the deliverance for His people.

Questions:

1. In what ways can you more honestly share your soul with Jesus?
2. In what ways do you experience “godly grief”?  In what ways do you experience “worldly grief”?
3. How can your personal grief cause you to pray for the good of God’s people?