Psalm 13

I have been reading today Psalm 13- It seems very appropriate to my situation. Here is the Psalm and then after some remarks…

“How long, O 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 every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 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 to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” (NIV84)

This Psalm is of interest to me. Particularly the first three words… “How Long, Lord” (NIV2011)

David was feeling as if the Lord had left him. While we aren’t giving any indication as to why David felt like this, I’m almost positive that each one of us has been in this exact situation. 

I know I certainly do. If you are reading this, then you are at least mildly familiar with my story. I am awaiting my 3rd liver transplant and I am unable to do many of the things that I enjoy doing, because of my not so great functioning liver. 

I’m going into my 6th year full time of dealing with these health related issues; and it's starting to take its toll on me. 

I feel like David. I feel like asking God: “Will you forget me forever”? (NIV2011)

I want to be done with this life situation. I’m done being sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I feel exactly like David: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” (13:2)

Notice that while David didn’t have an answer as to why he was going through what ever it was that he was going through, he did make a choice. Two of them to be exact. 

While David was in distress, while David didn’t have a reason as to why he felt God had left Him, He chose 1) To trust in God. 

Even though David was in way over his head— and he wanted out of his situation, he chose to trust in God. He chose to trust in God’s unfailing love. In the Love that never left David. 

2) David remembered the Lord’s goodness to him. (He remembered God’s many blessings to him.) 

What started out as a rough day for David, ended with Him thanking God for His goodness. 

David was able to come to the place where he realized that God had been good to him every step of the way and he wanted to thank God for those blessings. 

I think this is a model for us to follow. I’m guilty of questioning more than I am trusting. 

I think this is ok— it means we’re human’s, and its ok to question— but at the end of the day, I want to trust that God sees the whole plan and that His unfailing love are enough to get me through, not only my best of days, but also on the days— like today—- that I’m left scratching my head, asking, “How Lord, Lord?” 

Do you need to move away from Asking :How long, Lord” and say, “I will trust you, Lord.”?

If you’re not there yet, that’s ok! there is nothing wrong with spending time asking: “How Long, Lord?”… just don’t stay there too long. Make the commitment that, while you are still asking: “How Long, Lord”, you will thank God for His goodness to you over the years; and you will begin to trust Him with the days and weeks that follow.