Read Psalm 13
Verses 1 and 2 begin,
"How long, O LORD? will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?"
As we begin this Psalm we hear the despondency in David. Often in our lives we have trials and tribulations and the LORD feels hidden from us. We are walking in sorrow and sometimes self-pity as we ponder the struggles we face. We ask the LORD, where are You? Our burdens feel overwhelming and we feel hopeless in the struggle that is before us or we are in the middle of during a season. We feel like God has forgotten us and that we are all alone in a difficult situation. As the Psalm progresses we read,
"Consider and answer me O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken."
David reminds us of the Truth that even in our struggles God is near though we feel He is far away. David begins these verses by asking the LORD to consider him and cries out "O LORD my God"....redirecting our minds and hearts to the truth that the LORD is OUR GOD. One commentary writer says that "something happened to David between verses 2 and 3 of this hymn. Perhaps he listened to himself and his complaints and realized it was self-pity. Maybe he paused in this composition and looked back over what he had just written....and became alarmed at the unbelief that began to surface before his own eyes. David goes from flat on his face in hopelessness to his knees - a place of victory." As the Psalm continues we see David on feet rejoicing in the LORD:
"But I have trusted in Your loving kindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me."
David's circumstances have not changed but His heart and mind have made a 180 degree turn as he reflects on the LORD and trusts in Him. He remembers the loving kindness of the LORD and rejoices in his salvation from the LORD. He sings to the LORD because the LORD has dealt bountifully with him. This Psalm makes me think of the song It Is Well With my Soul -
“Whatever my lot, You have taught me to say, It is well, It is well with my soul."
Whatever the circumstances we face today which cause us to struggle we can remember that the LORD can make it well with our soul. God’s love is steadfast and sure. We can trust the character of God as we ask Him to give us the grace to receive what He allows and the faith to believe that He will work all things together for our good and His glory.
-- Karen Pace