When we read the Psalms and remember that Jesus is the “Man of Sorrows” who knew temptation, grief, sorrow, rejection, and loss, we know our Savior is well acquainted with the heartaches of this life. When we remember the lament that Jesus cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Psalm he quoted on the cross, we know that he suffered for us. And when we dwell on his saving work for us in his life, death, and resurrection, we know that our hope is found in him alone.

It’s strange, isn’t it, how something that is not physical can feel so physical? I experienced several losses last year and each one somehow hurt deep within my bones. My heart ached. I felt weak and worn. I could relate to the psalmist, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief (Psalm 6:6-7).

If you’ve been a believer for any length of time, you too have probably found solace in the Psalms when the heartaches of life have overwhelmed you. Perhaps you’ve written down a Psalm or two to give you comfort during a trial. Maybe you’ve found great hope in the fact that the psalmist felt the same levels of despair, fear, or abandonment that you felt.

John Calvin wrote that the Psalms are “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.” I think that is an appropriate description. Every emotion that we experience in this life is reflected in those 150 poems. From joy and gratitude to grief and sadness; from horrifying fear to the pit of despair; from confession over sin to crying out for help; the Psalms cover it all.

But the Psalms do more than just mirror our own heartaches. They aren’t simply there to provide catharsis or help us know that we aren’t the only ones who have suffered.

In fact, there is much more that we can learn from the Psalms, especially the Psalms of Lament, those dark, sad, and emotion laden Psalms many of us turn to when life is hard and the future seems dark and bleak.

1. We learn how to be honest with God.

The Psalms were the songbook for God’s people. They sang the Psalms during worship to God. All of them. Even the dark and sorrow-filled songs. These songs are prayers poured out to God. In reading the Laments, we learn that we need to be honest and real with our Heavenly Father. The psalmist describes in vivid detail exactly what he is experiencing, feeling, thinking, and hoping. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast” (Psalm 22:14).

2. We learn to turn to God in our sorrow.

Another lesson we learn from the Psalms is the need to turn to God in our troubles.

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