How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 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? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:1-6 NIV)
We have all been there!
David is tired.
David has been fighting against his enemy for a long time.
David feels like there is no hope.
David feels like his prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.
We have all felt this way. We have all felt like maybe, somehow, the Lord has actually forgotten about us. We even understand how big the universe is, and would think it is justifiable. I mean, my little problems are not that big of a deal. I would understand why God is dealing with stuff in Israel, with ISIS, with world hunger, or world peace. He doesn’t need to be worried about my issue.
Even though this isn’t true, we feel this way at time. David shows us how to respond:
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
I don’t know what is going on in your life. I don’t know what struggles you are dealing with. I certainly can’t understand or feel what you are feeling. I can say, David had it pretty bad. He was running from His Father-in-law, the King. He was hiding in caves. He was just trying to stay alive. He had been given the promise that He would be king. He had been anointed by the prophet, and yet:
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 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? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
David didn’t stay in the place of sulking though. He went back to truth:
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Wherever you are struggling today. Whatever you are struggling with. Get to the place mentally that David was able to get to. Continue to cry out to the Lord. You will never annoy Him. Continue to sing praise. Continue to acknowledge that even though you may not feel it, He has never left you or forsaken you. God is more than able, and we have all been where you may be right now.
Change can only start with:
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Daily Devotional 