A Shift in Focus

 

I have greatly missed meeting together as a church body to worship each Sunday morning. Churches around the world are making adjustments and doing what they can. I feel myself relating in some small way with the lament psalmists who cry out in grief over the loss of the temple. In particular I think of Psalm 42:4 (NIV), which says:

These things I remember as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

The lament psalms hold a special place in my heart. I deeply appreciate the open, raw expressions that are communicated. They invite the reader to wrestle and share their own expressions with God. Life always has its problems. It’s messy. The lament psalms acknowledge this reality and encourage us to take our problems and our pain head on, straight to God.

The lament psalms don’t deny pain. Instead, they pour out all their troubles, whatever they may be. I can’t sleep. I feel like you’ve left and forgotten me. I have no friends, no one to support or encourage me. There are people out to destroy me! I’m discouraged, depressed. These are honest conversations with God that acknowledge pain.

Photo by Dmitry Ratushny

The lament psalms not only guide the reader in recognizing and owning their pain, but many times also encourage a shift in focus, which reveals hope. Many laments pivot throughout or towards the end of the psalm, inviting the reader to change perspectives. This shift does not belittle the experiences or emotions, but rests the reader’s focus above, on the rock and security that is our God. Our choice of focus is critical. For example, in response to last week’s post, Glenda shared a comment about a period of anticipation in her life and her choice of focus. She said, “When my husband was in Viet Nam, I kept a calendar with the days counted down to when we would be together again. Each day I marked off brought me closer to being with him. I chose to focus on anticipation rather than being discouraged by the number of days we went without seeing each other.” Glenda could have chosen to focus on the emptiness. Instead, she acknowledged it and took steps to focus on hope.

One of my favorite lament psalms is Psalm 77. The change in focus occurs suddenly, like a gentle about-face. I’d encourage you to read Psalm 77 this week. Print it out and circle all instances/forms of “I” in one color and “you” in another color. Next, tell me where the climax of the psalm appears. What do those verses mean to you? I also encourage you to read Psalm 77, or any Hebrew poetry such as psalms or proverbs, in several different translations. Hebrew poetry is tricky to translate! It often leaves out words in order to involve the reader in filling in ideas. Reading a few translations will give a more rounded approach. I’ve included links to several versions of Psalm 77 below, ranging from more literal word-for-word translations to thought-for-thought translations that focus more on the idea that’s being communicated.

Lastly, I’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and your answer to “What does it mean to you?” in the comments. Your comments are important to me, perhaps now more than ever. Most of what I write about I discover through interactions with others. Needless to say, these last few weeks of writing have been very difficult as my interactions have been severely reduced. I think about and learn from your thoughts and experiences. Thank you for joining me here at The Cookie Exchange and exchanging thoughts and ideas with me!

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Links to Psalm 77 are listed below on a continuum of word-for-word (top) to idea-for-idea (bottom) translations. If you’re ever having difficulty understanding a passage, try a version on the idea-for-idea end of the spectrum. Word-for-word translations strive to accurately translate each word. These are great for study purposes, but are more difficult to read. I have not included any paraphrased Bibles. Paraphrases are not necessarily direct interpretations of the original text. Popular paraphrase Bibles are The Message and The Living Bible.

Psalm 77 – NASB, New American Standard Bible
Psalm 77 – ESV, English Standard Version
Psalm 77 – NIV, New International Version
Psalm 77 – NLT, New Living Translation

Side by side view of all four versions (available on desktop only)