Our scripture this morning is Psalms 63:1-11.
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
The Book of Psalms contains all the human emotions we know – joy, pain, anger, fear – all the feelings we have can be found within the Psalms. We often hear very raw reactions to situations the authors face. This helps us to know that God wants to hear it all, the plain unvarnished truth of how we feel.
Do you have a family member or friend to whom you can “let it all out”? We need to be able to share our feelings so that they don’t consume us. Emotions unchecked can cause us to make poor decisions. God is there for all of us as well, waiting to hear and help with our lives.
Praise and worship are essential to our faith, but so is confession. God wants us to give it all up to Him, the good and the bad. He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. The line from the old hymn “take it to the Lord in prayer” means to give Him everything that burdens us, as well as thanks for all His gifts. Share all your feelings with God, He already knows but by releasing them you will be blessed!
Loving Lord, we are emotional creatures, often prone to act out our feelings. Help us to use our emotions more carefully with each other, and let us share Your love with all the world. Amen.