After 400 years of silence, God finally speaks. Gabriel comes to Zechariah and Elisabeth to announce the coming of their child, who will pave the way for the Messiah. Luke 1:5-25 is the story of a great announcement to end a season of silence and sorrow. 

Luke’s gospel doesn’t begin with the days of Herod and the birth of Jesus, as most people think. He starts with a dedication to Theophilus and notes that his narrative has been carefully put together so “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” Pastor Michael Taylor opens this series on Luke by highlighting three truths Christians should remember, found in Luke 1:1-4.

When pain hits, our reflex is to pull away. May the process of lament become the reflexive language when you are in moments of pain. Instead of recoiling, may you go to and trust in the Father. Lamentations 5 is an example of turning towards God in lament when things are going wrong. Remember to ask Him boldly to work, and to trust that He will do what He has promised. 

Sometimes, when we are wounded, before healing can actually begin, the wound has to be cleaned out. Cleaning up wounds often brings about pain. Healing cannot happen without purity, and purity only comes through dealing with the impure. Are you wounded because you are placing your hope in idols instead of in the only place of true security and peace with God?

When Jeremiah wrote “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” he wrote it in the middle of rubble, ruins, and heartache. Lamentations 3 paints the picture of lament. That while you’re in pain or suffering, you can still have hope and turn to His steadfast love. 

The book of Lamentations is about the question of how. The past four sermons have shown us what it means and how actually to lament. The next four weeks cover what we learn from lament. God doesn’t just offer us the opportunity to lament to Him, but to learn about Him in the midst of lament. Starting with chapters one and two, join us on this journey through Lamentations.

The final step of lamenting is making the choice to trust God. Who God is is more important than the what or why of the situation. When we turn to God in the middle of lamenting, hurt, grief, and pain may stay, but it gives way to trust and worship. May the words of the hymn ever be true, “Even so, it is well with my soul.” 

In lament, you can move from despair to hope without the despair being removed. The God of the Bible works in the midst of your gloom and despair. So ask boldly for Him to move. David cries out to God in anguish in Psalm 22, with words that Jesus echoes on the cross. Jesus carried our sin and bore our grief, so take your pain to Him and trust His healing. 

God invites your questions and complaints. Express your sorrow, fear, frustration, or confusion to Him. Psalm 10 provides an example of lamenting, offering a place to take your complaints. Biblical lament gives you a place to turn and someone to listen, who cares and can and will act on your behalf. 

Lament walks us through the theological realities of this real world of suffering and a belief in a good, sovereign, and all powerful God. The first step of lament is to keep praying. But why should we? Pastor Michael Taylor gives five reasons by breaking down Psalm 77.