How Long O Lord?

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Scripture: Psalm 13:1-6 (NIV)

1 How long, 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 day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

4 and 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 the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.

 

Devotion:

 

            Psalm 13 is the shortest psalm of complaint in the book of Psalms. It is divided into three, two verse segments. This psalm moves from complaining that the Lord has forgotten the psalmist and is hiding from him to statements of assurance and praise that the Lord has been good to him. This turn of events has left many commentators scratching their heads as to how and why there is such a quick turnaround in the psalmist’s mind and emotions. Many different theories have been offered to explain this. However, none is entirely satisfactory.

 

            The first two verses are the complaint. They let the Lord know in no uncertain terms just what the psalmist’s problem is. The fourfold repetition of the words “how long” in these two verses are an emphatic challenge to God and His apparent absence from the life of the writer. David, the author of this psalm, is suffering from thoughts and sorrows that overwhelm him. David’s enemies seem to have the upper hand, and nothing is going to his liking. This is not just a momentary feeling but one that has lasted “day after day.”

 

            The second pair of verses are a prayer seeking relief from David’s circumstances. David knows without the Lord’s deliverance he is as good as dead. There is no one else that can help him to overcome his adversity. David petitions the Lord to answer his complaint, by supplying light and strength in this time of deep distress. Our psalmist here does not want his enemies to triumph over him and have any kind of happiness because of his distress. He cries out to the Lord in his desperation.

 

            The final set of verses takes a dramatic turn. Gone is the talk of being forgotten by God. No more is God hidden from view. God no longer causes sorrow and grief. Such talk is replaced by its exact opposite. Verse five declares David’s trust in God’s hesed or steadfast love. Hesed is the opposite of being forgotten by God. It means to be loved and cared for in the most wonderful fashion one can imagine. This makes David’s heart leap for joy and turns his complaints into songs of joy. He rejoices in the grace of God.

 

            As sudden as the turnaround in the last two verses is, it gives us hope that no matter what obstacles and difficulties we face in life there is always hope. We know that the steadfast love of God will be with us at all times and in all seasons. Let us therefore pour out our concerns to God knowing that He cares for us.

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