Read Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Go Deeper
Psalm 13 is another example of an honest psalm. David feels distant and abandoned by God–and he tells God that. In the opening two verses, David asks the question “How long?” a total of four times. He wants to know how long it will be before God will remember him, show His face, and rescue him again. David doesn’t hold back. At first glance, we might even think it’s too honest. Are we even allowed to talk to God like that? But such is the beauty of the psalms. They give us permission to voice our feelings to God. Who of us can’t relate to this psalm? At one point or another, we’ve all felt abandoned or forgotten by God. We’ve all wondered how long and we’ve all pleaded with God to show up for us again. David here gives us a template to follow for when we feel like this.
Even though he feels forgotten and abandoned by God, he still approaches God. Even though God feels distant, David still draws near. Even though he probably doubted that God was listening, he still prayed. David knows that he can’t trust his feelings. Feelings are real but they aren’t always reliable. He can acknowledge how he feels, but it doesn’t change the truth of who God is. So, at the end of the psalm, he reminds himself of the truth of God’s goodness, even if he isn’t currently feeling it.
When God isn’t answering our prayers how we want Him to (or as quickly as we want Him to), let’s remember this psalm and follow David’s response. Ask your questions, plead your case, beg God to show up, express your emotions, but then center your feelings in truth.
Because, as Isaiah 49 says, when God’s people said that the Lord had forgotten them, God responded by saying this: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” No matter how you may feel at times, God cannot forget His children. He is good, He is faithful, and He is with you.
Questions
- Have you ever felt distant from or forgotten by God? If so, what did you do?
- Do you tend to ignore your feelings or over-indulge them? How should we respond to our feelings?
- What is a truth of God that you need to remind yourself of today, regardless of the way you feel about it?
A Quote
“The fact that we feel abandoned itself means that we really know God is there. To be abandoned you need somebody to be abandoned by. Because we are Christians and have been taught by God in the Scriptures, we know that God still loves us and will be faithful to us, regardless of our feelings.”
-James Montgomery Boice
7 thoughts on “Individual Laments: Psalm 13”
God knows how you feel already. He knows that you feel like He is not, or might not be listening. BUT GOD is. Never have I been told to cry out to God for whatever, literally whatever, is/was my problem. He already knows so why can’t we cry out to Him about the “thing”. The big take away is not to stay in that “thing” but to give God praise, glory and honor no matter how He answers, to have faith that He truly hears and will answer. It’s a simple and heartfelt trust in the basics of God’s character. We KNOW God loves us and we KNOW Jesus’ sacrifice delivers us from sin and death. Be authentic, cry out to God, ask Him for help in ALL things, then tell Him how You trust Him in the answers and rejoice through it all.
God How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? I do not belive it to be so. How long will you hide your face from me? I feel You with me all the day long. How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? I will read Your word and talk to You all day. How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? He shall not be due to the blood of Christ covering me. God thank You for You being exalted over and for me. Thank You for considering and answering me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, only when it is Your timing will I sleep the sleep of death. God my enemy shall not say, “I have prevailed over him,”not my foes rejoice because I am shaken. I might feel shaken in the midst of turmoil BUT GOD You are my way. And I have trusted in your steadfast love;and my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. O, God I will sing to You because You deal with me bountiful. Today, is these minutes, I will tell You all my troubles and You will hear my cry and answer by and by. God I do not doubt, I just want it, whatever the it is for today, to be easy. God I know as I work through this life suffering is growing me. I thank You for being in the midst of those minutes. God Your unfailing, never ending, enduring, HESED love is always, always but a breath away in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isaiah reminds us we are never alone in our suffering in the verse referenced in the commentary. The final phrase of Isaiah 49:16 says “your walls are ever before me.” Whatever our “walls” may be—sickness, anxiety, fear, broken relationships, financial distress, etc.,
He sees, and he will see us through it. Through prayer and faith our focus will shift away from the problem and to the One who has engraved our names on his nail-scarred hands.Then we can affirm the words of the beloved hymn, “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.”
My most favorite song. Thank you for reviving that in me!!
So many walls, and yesss our names are engraved on His nail scarred hands…Beautiful. Stay tethered in prayer and faith and peace like a river will come.
Ryan Ellis Gonna Be Alright 🎶
Question Answers:
1. The distance I felt from God was by my own doing, The busyness of raising 4 sons, a household, and a business kept my time with God limited to Sundays. My confession.
I seek my loving Father in His Word being disciplined to starting my day in quiet time, BRP, and prayer over my children, my family, friends & church.
2. In my youth, I would overindulge my feelings, now by the grace of God I rest in the peace that surpasses all understanding.
3. I know, I know, I know that God is with me at all times. He is good. He is faithful. He restoreth my soul.
To God be the glory, Amen!!
“How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
“and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
The concept of “enemy” has been difficult for me to comprehend. I haven’t ever had anyone try to kill me. It seems distasteful and irrelevant in this present age. However, over the years, I have tried to be more alert to “enemies” in my life and then to specifically pray for them as God’s Word instructs me.
“How long?” X 4!
I know that at times I must sound like that! Like a kid in the back of the minivan, “How much longer?!”