Encouragement for Today

May 28, 2025 Getting Gut-Level Honest With God LISA HARPER Lee en español

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:11 (NIV)

We got a new dog last summer because I just couldn’t resist, especially after my daughter Missy declared, “Mom, I already love him, and he already loves me!”

Bucky is the sweetest in our canine crew, but he was “Sir Poops-a-Lot” when he was a puppy! Since he’s Missy’s dog, we agreed that house-training would fall on her shoulders. She was enthusiastic … until she started consistently getting up with him at 6 a.m. every morning.

One morning, she refused to get up. This led to an unwanted deposit on a brand-new rug, which led to an animated mother-daughter discussion, which led to my normally kind and respectful kid pitching a fit and mumbling, “Sometimes I wish you weren’t my mom.”

Goodness gracious, I went through heck and back for years to adopt her from Haiti. I’ve given her my whole heart. After Jesus, she’s my first priority every minute of every day. So her petulant comment stung a smidge, but I knew she didn’t mean it. Which is exactly what she whispered through repentant tears during our long hug mere minutes after the meltdown.

By the pure grace of our Creator and Redeemer, Missy is gut-level honest. She doesn’t curate her emotions — because she’s learned she doesn’t need to present the shiniest version of herself to me. Her position in our little family is more secure than two pairs of Spanx.

The same is true for us and God. We don’t have to present our shiniest selves to Him. No matter what we’re feeling, we can be honest, just like the psalmist who wrote Psalm 42:11:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 42 concludes with a restorative proclamation — “I will yet praise him” — but what I appreciate the most about psalms of lament like this is that God allowed them to be included in the Bible in the first place! Instead of disowning disillusioned people, God allowed Scripture's 59 “sad psalms” to be His engraved invitation for us to be real with Him — to be honest when our hearts are heavy and not wear fake happy faces.

The biblical narrative proves over and over that His love for us is immutable — it doesn’t change. This means we can share everything with Him — our joy, tears, hopes, dreams, insecurities, anger and fears — all in absolute confidence that He will never leave us, forsake us or stop loving us.

Father, it’s difficult to understand how You can know me completely and still love me unconditionally. Thank You for sending me the comfort of the Holy Spirit, who consistently reminds me that I’ve been adopted into Your forever family and have the right to call You “Dad.” Today, I’m bringing my feelings to You … [offer Him your true feelings now]. And I believe that I can linger in Your embrace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

You can find many more stories about “peeling off your emotional Spanx” with God in Lisa Harper’s newest book, A Jesus-Shaped Life: How Diving Deeper into Theology Can Transform Us and Our World with the Radical Kindness of God.

You can also preorder the companion Bible study guide and streaming video, releasing on July 1!

ENGAGE

Be sure to pull up a chair to Lisa’s award-winning podcast, Back Porch Theology!

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 139:1-2, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (NIV).

Ephesians 1:4-6, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (NIV).

What feelings are you most likely to attempt to hide or minimize instead of bringing them honestly before the Lord? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Lisa Harper. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Revell, a division of Baker House Co., for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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