The ‘angry psalms’ force us to interpret the psalms for what they are. If we don’t approach the psalms in the right way, these angry psalms will just seem atrocious to us. The value of these kinds of Psalms is the way in which they demonstrate a sense of process. The psalms are not all expressions of ideal states of being. They demonstrate a process, a movement, from one state of being to another. Different psalms make up different points on the continuum of that process. What we must understand when reading the psalms is what the psalmists are doing, not just what they are saying. Anger, when mismanaged, can be the most destructive human emotion and it is therefore vital that we express it in the right way. Many Christians think that the only way to deal with anger is to suppress it. But this will only make things worse. Anger will fester in its suppressed state and will control your life, possibly without you being directly conscious of it. The only right way to deal with anger is to take it to God and express it honestly and fully in his presence. This applies to every other ‘negative’ emotion you feel. You can’t just suppress your feelings and expect them to change. God wants you to bring your anger, shame, fear, disappointment, frustration and grief to him. Only as you do this can these feelings be transformed. So rather than wallowing in your negative feelings, do something with them. Take them to God and express them fully to him.
Reflect on whether you have experienced injustice and talk to God about how you have responded to it.
Read Psalm 35
