Who has not uttered the words we find four times in Psalm 13 - "How long, O Lord?" In the three Psalms we are reading today we see that David, in each, is outlining some issue he is having with someone who obviously hurt him or is about to hurt him. He is seeing the world around him as dangerous and harmful. He wants the God he has put his faith in to deliver him and protect him. Have you ever been in that same spot? As he cries out for deliverance (and. eventually claims in each Psalm to get it), he goes through a time of loneliness and fear. "How long ..." are not the words of a strong believer who has a major in Theology. They are the words of a fearful and desperate man. You can hear the fear in his voice from the words David utters in this phrase. In verse one he wants to know "how long" God will forget him. To feel as though you are forgotten is a miserable place to be in life. David was there. He further asks in verse one, "how long" God will hide His face from him. Now, God does not reveal His face to anyone. In fact, if He were to do so, man would die (Exodus 33:20). David was afraid of being alone and being abandoned. In verse two he wants to know "how long" the thoughts inside him will be allowed to torment him? We have all been there. We all know the experience of thoughts that tear us down. He goes on to add his jealousy for seeing his enemy exalted while he is in this place of difficulty. David is expressing the same fears we all have expressed at one time or another. But, the beauty of David's prayer here is found when he focuses on the character of God later in the chapter (13:5, 6). David's solution to self fear and deprecation is to take his eyes off himself and put them squarely on God's lovingkindness, salvation and bountiful gifts. When we look at ourselves we fall into depression. When we focus on God we are raised to newness of life. Look to the character of God in the midst of troubles not on the character of the trouble.
No comments:
Post a Comment