Today, I am going to write the first of a series of devotional thoughts about Psalm 13. In this psalm there can be found a desperate man, David, calling out to God with all that he had.
First, a little background. It is likely that David wrote this psalm/song/prayer while being pursued by Saul in the mountains. This prayer was used by the Israelite's (and us) to ask for help in the face of long term struggles, illness, persecution, poverty, etc.
One of the keys to this psalm is found in the first two verses where David asks the same question four times. "How long?" I know for sure that we have all asked that question many times. In this prayer David is weeping in grief. These four questions form the basis for the devotional today.
1. How long will you forget me, Lord? Will it be forever?! This is a question that people of all eras of history have asked. But just like us they expected God to give them a microwave answer. They wanted an instant solution. Sometimes God says wait awhile because He wants us to learn something.
2. How long will you hide from me? In the heat of the battle we all wonder where God is. He is not absent as we suppose. He is busy working out all things for our good.
3. How long must I worry and feel sad in my heart all day long? This is another ageless question. Every person has asked this question. The answer is not an easy one, but a clue is found at the end of Matthew 6. Jesus says each day has enough trouble of it's own. He says to concentrate on today and to do all you can to make things right and then trust Him for the rest. In other words the worries for tomorrow should be left to Him.
4. How long will my enemy win over me? Yikes, that is close isn't it? It seems that everybody has had someone taunt, bully, discourage us by attacking us physically, verbally or emotionally.
These four questions come from the depths of our souls and deserve an answer. In the next day or two you can read here what has been learned.
But for today, know this: It is alright to ask God these tough questions. He is not bothered by honest and brutal questions. He doesn't remove His love from us because we question Him. In fact, He uses these times of questioning to build us up for His purposes. Because He works all things together for His purposes.
A simple prayer: Oh Lord, I need relief. I trust in You for that relief. I am waiting patiently (sort of) for Your answer and teaching.
