How Long?

Psalm 13:1 (NLT) – O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
⁴ Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me. 

How blessed we are to have Psalms such as Psalm 13!  I believe that everyone can connect with this passage from time to time.  Even though biblical scholars may give us some background as to what David was experiencing, I believe that we have all found ourselves in circumstances of life where we have asked, “Have you forgotten me, God?”  We have all been in situations where we cry out to God, “How long?”

We should note, however, that even a prayer asking God how long we must wait is a prayer!  Prayer is communicating with God.  Far worse than asking God how long we must wait is not praying to God at all.  God answers prayer.  Yet, God does not always answer on the timetable we desire, or with the answer we seek, but God answers prayer.

Verses five and six show us that because David prayed, he was able to come to the realization that he would trust God, even if the answer he sought wasn’t felt that day.  David even found it within himself to sing to God.  This reminds me of the story of Paul and Silas in prison.  As bleak as their situation seemed, they prayed and sang hymns to God.  It was during their time of praising God that God answered their prayers (Acts 16).

When we find ourselves asking God how long we must suffer, we need to find the strength to praise God.  Like Paul & Silas, we might experience something of God while we praise God!

Today, let’s praise God, even during the difficult times. 

Posted by Ramón Torres