Weekly Devotion: How to Trust God at Rock Bottom

By: Jessika Sanders

How do we trust God when we’ve hit rock bottom?

In Job chapters 7-11 we read of the exchanges between grieving Job and his friends. His friends– who once wept aloud, tore their robes, cast dust on their heads, and sat in silent solidarity with Job for 7 days–were now trying to determine the reason for Job’s trials.

And as they pointed fingers and cast blame, it sent Job in what looks like a spiral to rock bottom.

You might be wondering, how do we trust God when we’ve hit rock bottom?

I believe the answer can be found in the pages of Job and that the answer is lament.

While the Oxford dictionary defines lament as “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow,” the definition of lament in biblical terms is much richer. A quick google search of biblical lament yields, “a heartfelt expression of sorrow, grief, or regret, often directed towards God, serving as a prayerful outlet for pain and a way to acknowledge suffering while seeking comfort and hope.” 

From that definition what really stands out to me is: 1) a prayerful outlet for pain, 2) often directed toward God, 3) while seeking comfort and hope.

Lament sounds both healthy and productive. And if God included an entire book of lament (Lamentations), the book of Job, and a large selection of psalms which are laments–something tells me He wants us to take notice of lament and employ it too!

Pastor, new President of the Gospel Coalition, and author of Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, Mark Vroegop, outlines 4 important steps for lament. 

These steps include:

1. Turn: Turn toward God in your pain.

2. Complain: Bluntly identify what is wrong with and in your circumstances.

3. Ask: Ask God for help by reminding Him of His promises.

4. Trust: Choose to trust confidently in the Lord’s grace.

In Job 10:1-2 we see Job both 1) turn to God and 2) begin his complaint, “I am disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. My bitter soul must complain. I will say to God, Don’t simply condemn me–tell me the charge you are bringing against me.”

As the chapter continues we see Job actively processing the grief of his circumstances as he struggles to understand why he has been afflicted with such suffering. In verses 8-12, some of my favorites in this chapter, we see Job transition into the 3rd step of lament: the ask.  Here we see Job remind God of what He has done and of His promises. 

“Your hands shaped me and formed me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Please remember that you formed me like clay. Will you now return me to dust? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh and wove me together with bones and tendons. You gave me life and faithful love, and your care has guarded my life.”

Though in this week’s reading we don’t see Job move to the 4th step of lament: trust, we can expect that within the book of Job, he will get there.

Like Job, do you find yourself at rock bottom, in the pit of despair?

Or do you find yourself in the valley of suffering?

Are you angry with God?

Are you questioning Him and struggling to understand why you? Why your child?

If you said yes to any of these I hope that through your reading and your quiet time with God, you’ll come to realize lament is not only normal, it is encouraged.  Because you are created in God’s image, Your Creator made you to have emotions and to feel them. He can handle the complexities of those emotions too.  They aren’t meant to be suppressed, but felt and processed. He doesn’t want anything, especially something like unresolved emotions, to stand in the way of your relationship with Him. The Lover of Your Soul wants all of you, including your tender, surrendered heart. And in His patience and longsuffering, He is willing to wait for you to get there.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your Word–the tangible, God-breathed and Holy Spirit inspired hope that I can cling to in both the highs and lows of this life. I thank you that in this precious book you have intentionally included beautiful examples of lament that act as models and guides for me as I navigate the troubles of this world. Thank you for loving me so much that you don’t leave me or forsake me, but rather equip me with exactly what I’ll need in this season–You. Amen.

Dig Deeper into How to Navigate What is Ahead with Real Hope

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel about emotions? Take some time to sit and reflect.

2. Do emotions make you uncomfortable?

3. Do you typically suppress your feelings so as to not appear vulnerable? Why or why not?

Put Your Faith Into Action:

In this week’s devotion I shared 4 steps of lament: 1) Turn to God in your pain, 2) Complain by bluntly identifying what’s wrong, 3) Ask God for help by reminding Him of His promises, and 4) Trust God by choosing confidence in His grace.

This week, we challenge you to write a prayer of lament (an outlet for your pain) using this template. 

Further Reading:

Psalm 56

Further Reading:

Psalm 56:8

Jessika Sanders is a published writer who has been featured in Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Hope When Your Heart is Heavy devotional (2021), Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Jr. magazine (2023), and Tyndale’s So God Made a Mother (2023). She is also the co-author of The Good Book Company's, In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis ( July 2024). Jessika is also the founder and president of Praying Through ministries.