January 24 & 25: P-Slam - Psalms give us permission to lament.

Core Scripture:
Psalm 22:1-31

Memory Verse:
James 4:8a (NIV) "Come near to God and He will come near to you."

Definition of Lament - to express grief or sorrow about something, to express regret, annoyance, or disappointment about something.

Discussion Questions:

• What problems did David face in this passage? What was David's attitude toward God? Does his attitude surprise you? Why or why not?
  
• How did David "lament"? How did he complain? What else did he do in this Psalm?
• Do you think God gets angry or upset when we complain to Him or question Him? Why or why not? How do you think it makes Him feel when we aren't trusting Him?
  
• How does God see our laments? How can we express trust to God while we lament? How does God's faithfulness make lament possible?
  

Bottom Line:

• A lot of times, we get the feeling that we can't be honest before God. But this is not what God wants from us. He wants us to weep, to groan, and even to complain to Him. In Biblical terms, He wants us to lament.
• God wants us to take Him seriously enough to question Him and even to complain when things don't seem right or fair.
• Even while we complain to God, as the Psalms lead us to do, we should remember who God is and seek to move toward Him, trusting as we do that God is moving toward us all the while.
  
• The great news is that God is big enough to handle our complaints. As David said, He does not hide His face from us. Instead, He listens to our cries for help. So let us be honest before our God, even with our complaints, and let us trust that He is listening.