Honest Before God

In the book of Numbers (chapter 11), Moses cries out in complaint to God:

“Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them….? I am not able to carry all these people alone, for they are too heavy for me.”

At this time in his life, leading the people of Israel through the wilderness, Moses felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt this crushing burden, and he cries out to God in a heartfelt lament: I can’t do it on my own.

Maybe you know what that’s like. I have to imagine many of us have been there – humbled to that point of need. But I do have to wonder how many of us feel we can be so honest before God. I think many of us were taught that prayers had to be nice – formal, just the right words. But in the Bible so many of the prayers are much more raw, more real. We don’t have to read many of the Psalms to see this is the case.

It takes humility and strength to recognize our limitations. It takes humility and strength to recognize our need for others and our need for God, and to ask for help. However, many have discovered that when they let down their guard enough to let others in and to share their deepest concerns and burdens, relationships typically deepen.

My prayer today is this: May you and I, may we be the kind of people who are humble and strong enough to cry out to God in all humility and honesty. May we be humble and strong enough to ask for help when we need it. And, may we trust that God is big enough to handle not only our burdens but also our honesty.

Let us pray: We cry out to you, O God, as people who sometimes feel broken and alone. We don’t even always have the words to pray. But we trust that you know our hearts. And we lift up to you now in this next moment of silence the deepest prayers of our hearts…. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.