When you come to church and something is weighing heavily on your heart, it's hard to sing, isn't it? We'd rather fall silent.
In our confusion or pain we hurt and singing a psalm for giving thanks feels like an impossibility.
Like the old testament saint Job whose story comes to mind so powerfully when we think of the doctrine of providence:
“He took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. And his wife said to him “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10 ESV)
Job spoke rightly.
Of the way of God and the proper response we are to have as we confront health and sickness, prosperity and poverty.
He spoke of the way of God with humility, reverence, and a profound recognition that God's ways are inscrutable to us – but that God's ways are good and righteous.