October 5 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 38:5–10

Devotional

There are times in spiritual life that one is unable to vocalize his needs. The need cannot be put into words. It is then that one groans before the Lord. But what a blessing that even my groanings are not hid from the Lord. There is already comfort in the fact that I can lay my groanings before the Lord. In this groaning the inner chamber of the heart is opened. Everything is said to the Lord that cannot be said to the human ear.

Even if in trials there is no light in my soul, still to know that the matter is laid before the Lord already lightens the burden in a blessed way. These groaners find relief by unburdening themselves before the Lord. That is why they do not want to miss these groanings, nor do they want to exchange these groanings for all the sounds of rejoicing that have no real content.

Yet you cannot be quickened with just these groanings. It is impossible to feed yourself with your hunger. It is impossible to find rest for your soul with just your groanings. As long as you can find a ground to rest upon in your need, then you should ask yourself if you are not groaning in yourself instead of groaning in the Lord. True groaning is not groaning because one simply finds pleasure and satisfaction in groaning; true groaning groans because it must find deliverance.

Yet what a blessing that there is also another way of praying than only with words! There is also groaning. What a blessing that the Lord is not restricted to the words His people utter. They may appeal to a God who knows their needs better than they are able to verbalize.

Can you also say, “My groaning is not hid from thee”? How are you known at the throne of grace? Or do you not have so much need in your soul that you can groan about it? If you still groan that your way is hidden before the Lord, remember that there is nothing or no concern that the Lord does not know about. He knows your groanings.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.